The Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday that stripped the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants ignited deep anger among those leading the effort to curb the emissions that cause climate change. It also drew praise from Republicans and those who sued the federal government, arguing that the agency exceeded its authority. Here’s some early reaction to the case:
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
“While this decision risks damaging our nation’s ability to keep our air clean and combat climate change, I will not relent in using my lawful authorities to protect public health and tackle the climate crisis. . . .Today’s decision sides with special interests that have waged a long-term campaign to strip away our right to breathe clean air. We cannot and will not ignore the danger to public health and existential threat the climate crisis poses. The science confirms what we all see with our own eyes — the wildfires, droughts, extreme heat, and intense storms are endangering our lives and livelihoods. I will take action.”
WEST VIRGINIA GOVERNOR JIM JUSTICE
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”This ruling in favor of West Virginia will stop unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., from being able to unilaterally decarbonize our economy just because they feel like it. Instead, members of Congress who have been duly elected to represent the will of the people across all of America will be allowed to have a rightful say when it comes to balancing our desire for a clean environment with our need for energy and the security it provides us.”
STEPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESPERSON FOR UN SECRETARY-GENERAL
“This is a setback in our fight against climate change, when we are already far off-track in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. The Secretary-General has said repeatedly that the G20 must lead the way in dramatically stepping up climate action. Decisions like the one today in the US or any other major emitting economy make it harder to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, for a healthy, livable planet, especially as we need to accelerate the phase out of coal and the transition to renewable energies.”
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MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY
“We are deeply disappointed in the Supreme Court’s misguided decision giving in to the coal industry and its scheme to prevent regulation of harmful greenhouse gas emissions ... Today’s decision marks a step backward in our collective effort to combat the climate crisis.”
SENATE MINORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL, KENTUCKY REPUBLICAN
“The Supreme Court gave power back to the people. In siding with the state of West Virginia, the Court has undone illegal regulations issued by the EPA without any clear congressional authorization and confirmed that only the people’s representatives in Congress — not unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats — may write our nation’s laws ... The ruling also pushes back against the overbearing administrative state, which Democrats have expanded dramatically in recent years. The Constitution states clearly that the lawmaking process lies with the people and their elected representatives, not with opaque federal agencies. I am glad the Supreme Court affirmed this fact and hope other overeager bureaucrats take notice.”
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER, DEMOCRAT OF NEW YORK
“Just like last week’s dangerously misguided and abhorrent decisions on gun safety and abortion, the extremist MAGA Court’s ruling today in West Virginia v. EPA will cause more needless deaths – in this instance because of more pollution that will exacerbate the climate crisis and make our air and water less clean and safe.”
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WEST VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL PATRICK MORRISEY
“Huge victory against federal overreach and the excesses of the administrative state. This is a HUGE win for West Virginia, our energy jobs and those who care about maintaining separation of powers in our nation.”
SENATOR EDWARD J. MARKEY, DEMOCRAT OF MASSACHUSETTS
“The result of this dangerous decision is an EPA that is undermined in its ability to protect the public from harmful pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. We cannot sit by as a captured, illegitimate, and far-right Supreme Court majority eviscerates the authorities that the government has had for decades to address greenhouse gas pollution from fossil fuels and prevent climate chaos.”
BRADLEY CAMPBELL, PRESIDENT OF THE CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION
“By arbitrarily limiting EPA’s explicit and broad authority under the Clean Air Act to require the use of less polluting systems, the Court has consigned millions of Americans to more illness, shorter lives, and greater poverty in an overheated climate, while giving itself nearly unlimited authority to invalidate protections and safeguards intended by Congress.”
KESHIA SEXTON, MOTHERS OUT FRONT
“The Court has sided with polluters over the health of people and the planet. We will not let this stand. We are mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers — all working together because of our shared concern for the health of all children. As active members in our communities, we are going to work extra hard to make sure this decision does not stand in the way of progress on clean air and climate,.
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JANET DOMENITZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MASSPIRG
“This decision limiting the EPA’s authority undermines the nation’s commitment to addressing climate change. Like any powerful law, the Clean Air Act requires enforcement. Without that, the federal government is left with just blind hope that polluters will do what they’re supposed to. Congress should immediately amend the Clean Air Act to give the EPA full authority to do what needs to be done to address climate change.”
BEN HELLERSTEIN, STATE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT MASSACHUSETTS
“Bay Staters count on the EPA to protect our air and environment. Now that the Court has put a stable climate even further from reach, lawmakers in Massachusetts must seek out other ways to reduce emissions and secure a clean and healthy future.”
David Abel can be reached at david.abel@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @davabel.