The Supreme Court's Chevron decision: What are the potential impacts?

The Supreme Court’s decision Friday restricts the regulatory authority of federal agencies, potentially affecting numerous environmental, health and safety regulations.

Coral Davenport, Christina Jewett, Alan Rappeport, Margot Sanger-Katz, Noam Scheiber and Noah Weiland report for The New York Times.

In short:

• The ruling could weaken or eliminate many EPA rules on air and water pollution, toxic chemicals and climate change.
• The Biden administration’s ambitious climate regulations are now more legally vulnerable.
• The decision may result in less stringent environmental protections, potentially increasing pollution.

Key quote:

“If Americans are worried about their drinking water, their health, their retirement account, discrimination on the job, if they fly on a plane, drive a car, if they go outside and breathe the air — all of these day-to-day activities are run through a massive universe of federal agency regulations.”

— Lisa Heinzerling, expert in administrative law at Georgetown University

Why this matters:

Reducing the regulatory power of federal agencies could lead to increased environmental degradation and hinder efforts to combat climate change. Legal challenges may delay or block critical regulations designed to protect public health and the environment.

Read more: Earlier in the week, the court temporarily halted the EPA's plan to reduce air pollution across state lines.