Texas Wins Latest Round in EPA Battle

SAN ANTONIO (AP) _ A federal appeals court has sided with Texas in a dispute with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency surrounding the state’s compliance with the federal Clean Air Act.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ordered the EPA to take another look at the benchmarks Texas uses for some pollution control permits. The ruling is a victory for state environmental regulators in a long-running clash with Washington over pollution standards.

Judge Jennifer Elrod condemned the EPA for imposing standards “created out of whole cloth” in a 32-page written opinion. She also slammed the EPA for taking more than four years to reject the Texas standards.

The ruling does not order the EPA to accept the standards set by Texas, but instead to promptly reconsider them.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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