U.S. Supreme Court’s EPA ruling puts Michiganders’ health at risk

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan League of Conservation Voters today issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in West Virginia v. EPA, which severely limits the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to limit carbon pollution from power plants across the country, including Michigan. 

 

“Leading climate scientists are sounding the alarm bells to act faster in addressing the climate crisis, but here is our far-right, activist U.S. Supreme Court taking us backwards and undermining the ability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to do its job,” said Bentley Johnson, federal government affairs director of Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Big Coal and Oil have routinely put profits over the health of communities across Michigan, disproportionately burdening communities of color with dangerous pollution. The court’s decision today only creates more uncertainties for our future.  But we are not giving up, and will continue to fight at the state and federal levels to pass bold climate legislation to reduce pollution in our air and water and rapidly expand the use of clean, affordable energy sources here in Michigan and beyond.”

 

The Supreme Court ruled that future measures to address carbon emissions must be focused on restrictions to specific coal plants, and the EPA does not have the authority to push utilities to shift from coal toward renewable energy sources. The case was brought forth by a coalition of Republican-controlled states and coal companies. 

 

Recent reports show the world’s carbon dioxide levels are the highest ever recorded in human history. The intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change also found carbon emissions are rising by 16% this year and have risen by 65% since the first United Nations Climate Change Conference. The panel has repeatedly urged that countries must take urgent action to cut emissions in half by 2050.

 

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