Supreme Court to Hear San Francisco’s Challenge to EPA Water Regulation

San Francisco and the EPA disagree over whether a permit for wastewater discharge was too generic.

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Oct. 7. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Oct. 16 over whether the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exceeded its authority in its approach to regulating water pollution.

San Francisco is arguing that the EPA is exposing it to an unfair risk of penalties by not specifying how much material its wastewater treatment facilities can discharge into the ocean. By setting more generic standards, their petition to the court adds, the agency has also failed to follow the Clean Water Act (CWA), which is the basis for the EPA’s authority in this area.