RIDEM Director Gray Says Supreme Court Decision "Will Harm Human Health"

RIDEM Director Gray Says Supreme Court Decision "Will Harm Human Health"

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Terry Gray issued a statement following the West Virginia v. EPA decision issued on Thursday by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Court’s decision was a devastating ruling for the Biden administration and the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to restrict greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants.

It is a decision that could limit the authority of government agencies to address major policy questions without congressional approval for years to come. The vote was 6 to 3, with the court’s three liberal justices in dissent.

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The decision was in line with several Supreme Court decisions in recent years that dramatically restricted federal regulatory agencies.

The decision strikes down EPA regulations on the grounds that agencies had overstepped its power when developing regulations.

 

"Decision Will Harm Human Health"

Gray said, “The U.S. government has the duty and moral obligation to cut climate pollution, but by siding with the coal industry and its allies and blocking the EPA from setting effective power plant emissions standards, the Supreme Court has dealt a major blow to the federal government’s authority and ability to cut this pollution. The EPA is DEM’s strongest partner on a host of environmental protection laws and programs including clean air. The Clean Air Act is an extremely good investment, saving as many as 230,000 lives and delivering more than $30 in benefits for every $1 in cost. There is little question that the court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA will harm Americans’ health. Power plants are this country’s No. 1 source of deadly air pollution, contributing to tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of illnesses every year. These health impacts disproportionately burden communities of color. Even when factors like region and income level are considered, communities of color breathe more air pollution than white people."

 

Little Impact on Rhode Island Permits

Gray, a long-time regulator for the agency, added, “[Thursday's] damaging decision will have little impact on DEM’s ability to regulate power plant sources in Rhode Island. Even this, however, must be tempered by the fact that pollution from upwind states that continue to burn fossil fuels will travel in the atmosphere and ultimately arrive in Rhode Island, affecting our air quality. Strong, forward-looking laws like the Act on Climate, the statutory commitment to move to 100 percent renewable energy by 2033, and the significant investment in offshore wind power and the related infrastructure show Rhode Island’s commitments and leadership on the response to this global crisis. In partnership with Governor McKee, DEM and the entire Administration will continue to lead by example in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and making our state more resilient.”