Court Stays EPA’s CSAPR

The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit granted a request on December 30, 2011, to stay the U.S. EPA’s Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), pending further court review. This action delays the January 1 implementation of the rule. EPA finalized the rule on July 6, setting stricter limits on sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from power plants in 28 states. A coalition of utilities and industry groups that oppose the regulations petitioned the court to halt their implementation, arguing they will harm the economy and threaten the reliability of the power grid.

According to a statement by EPA spokeswoman, Betsaida Alcantara, "The court's decision is not a decision on the merits of the rule and EPA firmly believes that when the court does weigh the merits of the rule it will ultimately be upheld."