By ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the federal Environmental Protection Agency (news - web sites) can override state officials and order some anti-pollution measures that may be more costly.
The 5-4 decision, a victory for environmentalists, found the EPA did not go too far when it overruled a decision by Alaska regulators, who wanted to let the operators of a zinc and lead mine use cheaper anti-pollution technology for power generation.
The four justices who dissented said the ruling undercut the states' power to control their environmental policies.
The Alaska case was the first of eight environmental cases on the court's docket this term, an unusually high number. The fight was over whether the Red Dog Mine must use equipment that would reduce pollution from a new generator by 90 percent. The state wanted to allow the mine operator, a major employer in a particularly rural area of Alaska, to use equipment that would only reduce pollution by 30 percent.
more:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/20040121/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_pollution_2
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