(AP)- The Supreme Court appears divided in a
dispute over the Obama administration's first-ever regulations aimed at
reducing power plant emissions.
The focus of the case is on mercury and other hazardous air
pollutants that contribute to respiratory illnesses, birth defects and
developmental problems in children.
The justices heard argument Wednesday in a challenge brought by
industry groups and Republican-led states to the Environmental Protection
Agency's decision to take action against coal- and oil-fired power plants that
are responsible for half the nation's output of mercury.
Several conservative justices questioned whether EPA should have
taken costs into account when it first decided to regulate hazardous air
pollutants from power plants, or whether health risks are the only
consideration. The EPA did factor in costs at a later stage when it wrote
standards to reduce the toxic emissions.
