Courts deal blow to EPA over Clean Air Act

Two separate courts ruled this week that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must enforce regulations that restrict states from emitting pollution that could cross borders into neighboring states.

U.S. district courts in Maryland and New York both ruled separately that EPA was derelict in its duty by not enforcing states to comply with the "Good Neighbor provision" under the Clean Air Act meant to address smog pollution.

The New York court found that EPA failed to meet an August 2017 deadline that would begin the process of enforcing the law throughout states. The court's judge ruled that EPA must take necessary steps to limit the smog that blows into New York and Connecticut from five surrounding states: Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan and Virginia.

The court set a Dec. 8 deadline for compliance.

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