Oregon appeals court finds the rules for the state's climate program are invalid - Toronto Star
Oregon appeals court finds the rules for the state's climate program are invalid
Oregon appeals court finds the rules for the state's climate program are invalid
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A state appeals court in Oregon decided late Wednesday that the rules for a program designed to limit and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel companies are invalid. The program, started in 2022, is one of the strongest climate programs in the nation.
FILE - The Portland, Ore., skyline is visible on the bank of the Willamette River, Dec. 3, 2014. A state appeals court in Oregon ruled Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, that a state program designed to limit and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel companies is invalid. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A state appeals court in Oregon decided late Wednesday that the rules for a program designed to limit and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel companies are invalid. The program, started in 2022, is one of the strongest climate programs in the nation.
State environmental officials said the court's decision hinges on an administrative error and doesn’t touch on whether the state Department of Environmental Quality has the authority to implement the program. The Climate Protection Program targets a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels and natural gas by 2050.
Wednesday's decision by the Oregon Court of Appeals comes in a case brought by fossil fuel companies that alleged the state Environmental Quality Commission erred in its rulemaking for the program. The commission acts as the Department of Environmental Quality’s policy and rulemaking board.
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NW Natural, one of the litigants, said it was pleased with the court’s decision and that it is committed to moving toward a low-carbon energy future.
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More than 30 years after the last major update of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has upended the ability of Congress to give the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies broad scope to combat air pollution, including the emission of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, further Biden administration efforts to limit emissions face opposition in the courts.