Forum
U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status
Decided
Docket Number
Term
2013 Term
Oral Argument Date
February 24, 2014
Lower Court Opinion
Questions Presented
“Whether EPA permissibly determined that its regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles triggered permitting requirements under the Clean Air Act for stationary sources that emit greenhouse gases.”
Case Updates
U.S. Supreme Court repudiates EPA's approach to regulating GHGs, calls Agency's Clean Air Act re-write a violation of the Constitution's "separation of powers"
June 23, 2014
The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the EPA's approach to regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the PSD and Title V provisions of the Clean Air Act. The Court held that the Act neither compels nor permits the EPA to adopt an interpretation of the Act requiring a source to obtain a PSD or Title V permit on the sole basis of its potential greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, the EPA cannot, as it intended, sweep millions of businesses - from dry cleaners to industrial manufacturers - into an onerous and costly permitting program which can take businesses up to 10 years to obtain a permit. The Court said that EPA's attempt to unilaterally re-write the Clean Air Act violated the Constitution's separation of powers.
The Court also ruled that EPA is permitted to regulate GHGs under the Best Available Control Technology (BACT) provisions of the Act, but only for those few facilities that must already obtain a PSD or Title V permit for other conventional pollutants. Moreover, the Court clarified that nothing compels EPA to regulate GHGs through BACT. The Court also stressed several “important limitations” on any GHG BACT standards.
With respect to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, the Chamber’s President and CEO, Thomas J. Donohue provided the following statement:
“Today’s Supreme Court decision demonstrates what we’ve said all along: the Clean Air Act is ill-suited to address greenhouse gas emissions. The Court recognized that EPA’s attempt to sweep small businesses into its greenhouse gas agenda was an unconstitutional power grab. EPA is now on notice that it does not have unlimited authority to impose massive costs on the U.S. economy and mandate a fundamental redesign of America’s electricity system.”
Case Documents
- U.S. Chamber, et al. Certiorari Petition -- U.S. Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Law Professors’ Amicus Brief in Support of Certiorari -- Chamber of Commerce, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- ITSSD Amicus Brief in Support of Certiorari -- Chamber of Commerce, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Economists’ Amicus Brief in Support of Certiorari -- Chamber of Commerce, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Scientists’ Amicus Brief in Support of Certiorari -- Chamber of Commerce, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- States’ Amicus Brief in Support of Certiorari -- Chamber of Commerce, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Mountain States Legal Amicus Brief in Support of Certiorari -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Brief of the Respondent -- Chamber of Commerce, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Automakers Brief in Opposition -- Chamber of Commerce, et al. v. EPA (U.S Supreme Court).pdf
- Utility Air Regulatory Group Brief in Opposition -- Chamber of Commerce, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Reply brief -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Farm Bureau Federation, and State of Alaska v. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Opening Brief for Petitioners -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, et. al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- ACC Brief for Petitioners -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, et al v. EPA (U.S Supreme Court).pdf
- Energy-Intensive Manufacturers Petitioners Brief -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, et al v. EPA (U.S Supreme Court).pdf
- SLF, et al. Petitioners Brief -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, et al v. EPA (U.S Supreme Court).pdf
- States Petitioners Brief -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, et al v. EPA (U.S Supreme Court).pdf
- UARG Petitioners Brief -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, et al v. EPA (U.S Supreme Court).pdf
- CRR et al. Respondents Brief -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, et al v. EPA (U.S Supreme Court).pdf
- State and Local Chambers of Commerce and Other Business Associations amici brief -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, et al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for Administrative Law Professors in Support of Petitioners -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence in Support of Petitioners -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for Economists in Support of Petitioners -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for Five U.S. Senators in Support of Petitioners -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for Mountain States Legal Foundation in Support of Petitioners -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for Political Economists in Support of Petitioners -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for Senator Mitch McConnell and other members of the United States Congress in Support of Petitioners -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for Texas Oil & Gas Assn in Support of Petitioners -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for Washington Legal Foundation in Support of Petitioners -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for American Road & Transportation Builders Association in Support of Neither Party -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for Economists & Scientists in Support of Petitioner SLF -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief on the Merits for the States Kansas, et al. in Support of Petitioners -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus brief on the Merits for American Civil Rights Union -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus brief on the Merits for Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus brief on the Merits for Peabody -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Response Brief of Respondent State of New York, et al. -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Brief of Environmental Organization Respondents -- Chamber et al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Brief of Respondent (EPA) -- Chamber, et al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief of the Institute for Policy Integrity at NYU -- Chamber, et al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief of American Thoracic Society in Support of Respondents -- Chamber, et al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief of Calpine Corporation in Support of Respondent -- Chamber, et al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief of South Coast Air Quality Management District in Support of Respondents -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Amicus Brief of the Constitutional Accountability Center -- Chamber et al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Petitioner's Joint Reply Brief -- Chamber, et al v. EPA -- (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Reply Brief of State Petitioners -- Chamber, et al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Utility Air Regulatory Group Reply Brief -- Chamber, et al v. EPA (U.S.Supreme Court).pdf
- Reply of CRR for Petitioners-- Chamber et, et al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- Oral Argument Transcript -- Chamber, et al v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf
- UARG memo from EPA.pdf
- Amicus Brief of State and Local Business Organizations -- Chamber, et al. v. EPA (U.S. Supreme Court) (PSD GHG Regulations).pdf