Supreme Court

Oil companies, government point fingers over cleanup of World War II-era pollution

Oil companies, government point fingers over cleanup of World War II-era pollution

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The Petitions of the Week column highlights a selection of cert petitions recently filed in the Supreme Court. A list of all petitions we’re watching is available here.

During World War II, Congress authorized President Franklin Roosevelt to enlist oil refineries for the war effort. Centralization helped meet the war’s rapidly increasing demand for fuel. But it also led to a glut of hazardous waste, some of which leaked into the ecosystems surrounding the refineries. This week, we … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Five-justice majority restores Trump-era policy on water pollution, provoking more criticism of emergency docket

Five-justice majority restores Trump-era policy on water pollution, provoking more criticism of emergency docket

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A divided Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated a Trump-era environmental policy that makes it harder for states to block projects that may cause water pollution. The unsigned and unexplained decision prompted Chief Justice John Roberts to join the court’s three liberal justices in criticizing the majority’s use of the emergency docket.

The court’s decision “renders the Court’s emergency docket not for emergencies at all,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in dissent. “The docket becomes only another place for merits determinations … Read the rest