Ruling by the court, which has a Republican super majority, undermines the 1972 Clean Water Act

Summary

In a 5-4 decision, the US Supreme Court weakened the Clean Water Act by limiting the EPA’s authority to issue generic water quality standards.

The majority, led by Justice Alito, ruled that the EPA must impose specific pollutant limits instead of broad, “end result” requirements. The city of San Francisco prevailed, challenging the EPA’s narrative-based permits for sewage discharges.

Dissenters, led by Justice Barrett, argued the law authorizes stronger measures to protect water supplies.

The case marks the first significant Clean Water Act challenge since Chevron deference was overturned in 2024.

  • Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de
    6·
    17 hours ago

    I thought San Francisco were supposed to be good guys? Why are they pulling the EPA in front of the Supreme Court? Just to save some money on their infrastructure at the cost of the public?

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
      5·
      12 hours ago

      San Francisco has been shifting conservative for a while. A bunch of tech millionaires want to turn it into a futuristic dystopia.

    • ayyy@sh.itjust.works
      5·
      13 hours ago

      The city government of San Francisco is fucking broke because they built their entire budget and town around shitty tech startup open offices and nobody ever wanted that so now it all sits empty and decaying.

    • skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de
      21·
      12 hours ago

      Should have seen what they did to their homeless as soon as they were legally allowed to. When you travel far enough, extreme Left and Right both seem to be looping around and into the anus of Authoritarianism.