U.S. Supreme Court upholds pollution limits for Chesapeake Bay

The U.S. Supreme Court today denied the request of the American Farm Bureau Federation and its allies to take up their case challenging the legality of pollution limits that EPA set for the Chesapeake Bay. This means that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals’ unanimous ruling that EPA did not exceed its authority and that efforts to restore local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay are legal, will stand.

“This decision reaffirms EPA’s authority to develop pollution limits for the Chesapeake Bay,” said Kristin Davis, Staff Attorney. “We are glad that all efforts can focus now on restoring water quality in this national treasure, and we believe that moving forward with the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint will provide tremendous economic, health, and environmental benefits to the region.”

SELC represented Defenders of Wildlife, which joined the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and numerous other organizations as intervenors to defend EPA’s authority to set pollution limits for a cleaner Chesapeake Bay.