New York Leads 21 States in Suing Trump Administration
New York and 20 other states sued the Trump administration to block the EPA's repeal of greenhouse gas emission limits for power plants.
A coalition of 21 states, led by Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York, filed a lawsuit on Thursday to block the Environmental Protection Agency's repeal of rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants. The plaintiffs, which include several cities and the District of Columbia, argue that removing these Biden-era protections will exacerbate the climate crisis and ignore substantial public health costs.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency defended the move, claiming the repeal will save the energy industry more than $300 billion. EPA Assistant Administrator Aaron Szabo stated the policy would allow utilities to make decisions based on cost and savings rather than being forced to shut down facilities.
The coalition is petitioning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to strike down the repeal. This legal challenge occurs alongside a separate Supreme Court case involving Boulder, Colorado, which aims to hold oil and gas companies liable for damages resulting from climate-related disasters.
