Supreme Court says states can’t enforce greenhouse gas rules

The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a unanimous verdict in a case that could have a major impact on the regulation of greenhouse gases in the agricultural industry.

This case arose as a number of states sought to curb greenhouse gases emissions from power companies and utilities, claiming that emissions from these power plants causes a nuisance to their residences.

The Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from utilities, but states in which the utilities operate do not.

“The implications for this case are huge in the sense that curbing these emissions would not be just limited to power plants, but could possibly be applied to any emitter of greenhouse gases, which could include farmers, ranchers, large dairy operations, large livestock operations. So from that standpoint, it could have very far reaching applications,” said AFBF regulatory specialist Rick Krause.

Lynn Snyder 

Lynn Snyder is senior director of communications for Ohio Farm Bureau.