HARRISBURG, Pa. — A statement was released Thursday from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection following the Supreme Court's decision to limit EPA power to control power plant emissions.
Ramez Ziadeh, Pennsylvania's Acting Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, released the following statement.
Governor Tom Wolf and DEP have been at the forefront of protecting the air we breathe and ensuring that communities are not bearing unfair burdens from regulations protecting air quality. Cost-effective actions like reducing methane leaks from gas wells and participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative will continue to improve Pennsylvania’s air for years to come.
Today’s ruling undercuts good-faith efforts to fight climate change and protect clean air but that does not mean we will stop fighting. Pennsylvanians strongly favor strong protections for the air we all breathe, the water we drink, and the land we live, work, and play on. This administration will continue to uphold our constitutional responsibility to conserve and maintain clean air and pure water for all people, including generations yet to come.
The Supreme Court's ruling comes from the case West Virginia v. United States Environmental Protection Agency.
U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) released the following statement regarding the matter:
The climate crisis is an all-hands-on-deck challenge and today, the Supreme Court tied one of the EPA’s hands behind its back. This decision will make it harder for the Biden Administration, and all future administrations, to take the urgent action needed to meet our climate objectives at the pace needed to curb the climate crisis’ most catastrophic consequences.
Without significant and bold action to reduce emissions and tackle climate change, we are risking the health of Americans and our children’s future.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the extreme conservative majority on the Court is willing to throw legal precedents out the window, ignore the American people, and roll back progress. This Court is making the United States a more dangerous place to live for all of us.
PennEnvironment Executive Director David Masur issued the following statement in response to the announcement.
The Supreme Court just made the monumental task of cleaning up our air and reducing climate-warming pollution much, much harder. Pennsylvanians 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 Pennsylvania must seek out other ways to reduce emissions and secure a clean and healthy future.
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.
Additionally, there remain plenty of other ways to win cleaner air and a healthier climate. Now is no time for mourning -- it’s time to refocus on other strategies and venues, including our state legislature and corporate campaigns. And it’s time to end our reliance on fossil fuels.
