After the U.S.D.C. for the Northern District of West Virginia ordered the EPA to better evaluate the consequences of its air pollution regulations on jobs in the coal industry, opponents of future regulations hope that the evaluation could help shape regulatory policy or open the door to additional industries seeking similar analysis of how they fare under agency rules.
The ruling is the result of a lawsuit filed by coal company Murray Energy and its affiliates against the EPA. Murray successfully argued that the EPA had not followed the Clean Air Act's rules regarding section 321(a) which requires the EPA to consider job losses within the coal industry as the agency implemented the Clean Air Act. The Court ordered the EPA to file a plan and schedule for compliance with Section 321(a) as a general matter and specifically in the area of regulations affecting the coal industry.
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