Supreme Court Urged to Grant Emergency Freeze of Mercury Rule

States and industry groups want another major air rule frozen by the Supreme Court, according to two emergency petitions.

Westmoreland Mining Holdings LLC, West Virginia, and North Dakota on Aug. 16 asked justices for an emergency stay of Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, after losing their bid for a stay at the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit earlier this month.

Challengers claim that the Environmental Protection Agency did not adequately identify the need to ratchet up the stringency of the rules that govern mercury and other toxic emissions from power plant operations.

“The Clean Air ...