The Chevron deference was an essential legal precedent that conferred upon federal agencies the capacity to interpret and to make laws more explicit. The Supreme Court’s recent overturning of Chevron has placed the future of many regulations on clean water and clean air in the hands of appointed judges, the majority of whom have no scientific expertise. The Supremes’ ruling on Chevron has the potential to undo much of the work of US federal agencies that, under the direction of the Biden-Harris administration, have worked to protect the environment in numerous ways.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in her dissent , “Any established government regulation about any issue—say, workplace safety, toxic waste, or consumer protection—can now be attacked by any new regulated entity within six years of the entity’s formation.” Overturning Chevron is some serious sh**. So, too, is the turmoil that has emerged since the Biden-Trump debacle debate .
But, to its credit, the Biden-Harris administration has continued to pursue climate actions through rules that push forward its ambitious climate agenda — from boosting the clean energy sector to prioritizing environmental justice. Plans are in place to impose the first-ever federal standards to shield US workers from heat stress. “We’re preparing and responding to the dangerous impacts of extreme weather and the climate crisis that’s affecting people all around America,” Biden said last week in remarks at the DC Em.
