Supreme Court ruling approves air pollution regulations

The US Supreme Court has approved regulations designed to reduce air pollution in across the nation. The move gives a huge boost to the green agenda detailed by the Obama administration and could help to cut down on emissions. 

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) cross-state air pollution rule has now been approved, which means that a total of 28 states will have to take further steps to reduce air pollution from power plants that could affect neighbouring states. This could dramatically improve air quality across the country and help to drive down total emissions, helping towards the US' fight against climate change.

Around 1,000 power plants will now be faced with tighter air pollution regulations thanks to the new rules, which appear to have been designed to work with the upcoming carbon emissions rules. The EPA cross-state rules were blocked by a US Court of Appeals ruling last year; however, the latest ruling from the Supreme Court allows the agency to implement them.

Several of the states that will now be affected by the regulations have argued that the regulations are not specific enough, as they do not provide information on how states can reduce downwind pollution. However, the EPA argued that each of the states will have three years in which to develop their own plan for reducing emissions, giving them a lot of flexibility on how they feel it is best to deal with the issue.

Gina McCarthy, politically-appointed chief of the EPA, said in a statement: "Today's (April 29th) Supreme Court decision is a resounding victory for public health and a key component of EPA's efforts to make sure all Americans have clean air to breathe. The Court's finding also underscores the importance of basing the agency's efforts on strong legal foundations and sound science."

The news comes just as the American Lung Association released its new report that shows that many Americans experience unhealthy levels of air quality in the areas they live. It also found that air pollution has worsened in many of the areas included in the study.