States and cities sued the Trump administration on Thursday for repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas.
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that → sue → coal
Twenty-one states, led by New York, are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s power plant rule.
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states → lead → rule
The Democratic-led coalition also includes Pennsylvania’s governor, the District of Columbia, New York City, Chicago and the city and county of Denver.
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coalition → lead → Denver
They argue that “gutting one of the country’s most significant climate protections” will set the nation back decades and worsen the climate crisis.
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gutting → argue → crisis
The EPA announced last month it’s revoking the Biden-era rule, and said it is taking a separate but related step to prevent future administrations from regulating climate pollution from power plants.
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it → announce → plants
New York attorney general Letitia James said the federal government is showing “callous disregard” for Americans’ health and the environment, and future generations will pay the price.
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generations → say → price
Power plants that burn fossil fuels are a major source of planet-warming pollution.
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that → burn → pollution
“Dismantling these protections is a betrayal of American families, and the stakes are too high to allow this administration to once again put profits over people,” James said in a statement Thursday.
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James → dismantle → statement
The EPA said Thursday it does not comment on pending litigation.
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it → say → litigation
However, it said in announcing the repeal that it would save the industry more than $300bn in costs and help “unleash” American energy.
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it → say → energy
EPA assistant administrator Aaron Szabo said in September that it will allow utilities to “make the best decision for the ratepayers based on cost and cost savings, instead of being required to shut down facilities”.
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utilities → say → facilities
The coalition is petitioning the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia to review the EPA’s decision and strike down the repeal.
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coalition → petition → repeal
It says the EPA unlawfully abandoned the pollution limits without properly considering reasonable alternatives or the enormous health and climate costs of allowing more pollution into the atmosphere.
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EPA → say → atmosphere
The coalition also told the EPA it intends to sue over the agency’s failure to regulate pollution from many gas-fired power plants.
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it → tell → plants
The suit comes as the supreme court prepares to hear a landmark case in which the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, are suing oil and gas companies to force them to help pay for damage caused by disasters linked to climate change.
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city → come → change
The high court will hear the case on Monday, the first day of its new term.
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court → hear → term
The rule change for power plants, first proposed last year, represents a fundamental shift from efforts by Democrats Joe Biden and Barack Obama to address climate change and regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap the sun’s heat.
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that → propose → heat
Environmental groups say it will come at a cost to Americans’ health and further degrade the environment.
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it → say → environment
The separate rule proposed last month could prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
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rule → propose → plants
The proposal, expected to be made final next year, follows EPA’s action earlier this year revoking a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for US action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.
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that → expect → change
The coalition includes the states of New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
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coalition → include → York
The Aporia
