The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled against an Obama administration's environmental initiative toÌýlimit the emissions toxic pollutants from power plants.
The court decided to stop the implementation ofÌýMercury and Air Toxic Standards introduced by theÌýEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2011, finding it faulty for deeming "cost irrelevant to the decision to regulate power plants".
The regulation required hundreds of coal-burning power plants to install equipment to control mercury emissions � believed to cause several illnesses including developmental problems in children.
Challengers to the regulations include several industrial companies and dozens of states with Republican governors, including Michigan, which brought the lawsuit.ÌýÌý
Writing for the 5-4 majority decision, Justice Antonin Scalia said that theÌýEPAÌýestimated theÌýregulation would annually costÌýpower plants $9.6 billion.Ìý
"The agency could not fully quantify the benefits of reducing power plantsâ€� emissions of hazardous air pollutants; to the extent it could, it estimated that these benefits were worth $4 to $6 million per year," he added.Ìý
An impact analysis by theÌýEPAÌýcalculates anÌýindirect savingÌýfrom the regulationÌýof betweenÌý$37 and $90Ìýbillion coming from preventingÌýhealth-related issues and deaths stemming from pollution.Ìý
The agency had set a 2016Ìýdeadline for power plants to comply with the regulation, with many reportedly already implementing the regulation.
By Kasim Ileri
Anadolu Agency
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