The Environmental Protection Agency went back to the drawing board as they work with states and Congress in trying to configure a method of state to state pollution regulations. The Federal Court overturned the EPA pollution rules that established guidelines for pollution that crossed state lines, and the penalties for those companies and industries that caused the pollution.

The topic of cross state air pollution has been a high topic of discussion for over three decades. The problem exists where industries in one state cause such high air pollution that it cascades into neighboring states and potentially into the general atmosphere. The E.P.A. had submitted accountability guidelines for those industries causing the problems in the 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule. The rejection of this ruling will take many years of work and research to bring another recommendation to the table. In this case, the companies may have won, but the world has taken a loss.

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/science/earth/appeals-court-strikes-down-epa-rule-on-cross-state-pollution.html?ref=science
http://articles.philly.com/2012-08-23/news/33322938_1_epa-s-transport-rule-jeffrey-r-holmstead-neighbor-provision

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