Following a 6-3 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court limiting the Environmental Protection Agencies' (EPA) power, the Petroleum Association of Wyoming (PAW) issued a statement in response.

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The decision by the SCOTUS limits the ability of the EPA to address climate change, as it ruled that Congress did not allow the agency the broad authority the court claimed it was exercising.

Responding to the court's decision, Michael Regan, the EPA Administrator, said in part:

"While I am deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision, we are committed to using the full scope of EPA’s authorities to protect communities and reduce the pollution that is driving climate change...At this moment, when the impacts of the climate crisis are becoming ever more disruptive, costing billions of dollars every year from floods, wildfires, droughts, and sea-level rise, and jeopardizing the safety of millions of Americans, the Court’s ruling is disheartening...EPA will move forward with lawfully setting and implementing environmental standards that meet our obligation to protect all people and all communities from environmental harm."

PAW said:

"While the oil and natural gas industry is continually improving operations and reducing emissions, we believe any federal regulatory framework must be based in legal authority granted by an Act of Congress. The Legislative Branch has long abdicated its duty in passing coherent, meaningful legislation that addresses the most pressing issues of the day. That has opened a void allowing unelected bureaucrats to consolidate decision-making power. Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a welcome rebuke of that trend and a step in the right direction to rein in unwieldy agency rules made by those who do not answer to the people.
Justice Gorsuch said it best in his concurring opinion, 'The Court acknowledges only that, under our Constitution, the people’s elected representatives in Congress are the decision-makers here—and they have not clearly granted the agency the authority it claims for itself.' In other words, the EPA – an agency bent on growing its authority beyond what it was given – was finally and forcefully told no."

 

Governor Mark Gordon also released a statement following the SCOTUS ruling, saying in part:

"Today’s decision recognizes that innovation, not regulation, is a key to a prosperous future and a healthier environment. The legal authority to regulate emissions properly lies with Congress and the states, not an overzealous federal bureaucracy insulated from practical accountability...Wyoming seeks to address pollution and climate change at its source by fostering improved technology and better management. We believe that an all-of-the-above energy strategy that encourages free enterprise to solve our most pressing issues is the best road to a brighter future, a healthier environment, better jobs, and more sustainable communities."

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