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M. Continuo

U.S. top court cuts back climate change regulation


    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued a mixed ruling on a challenge to part of President Barack Obama?s initial wave of greenhouse gas regulations by exempting a small proportion of facilities from a federal air pollution program while allowing most major pollution sources, including power plants, to be included.

    In what was a relatively narrow case concerning a challenge by industry groups and Republican-leaning states to one aspect of a suite of rules issued by Obama's Democratic administration in 2009 and 2010, the court, divided in several different ways, held that a small proportion of industrial facilities are exempted from the single regulation in question. Most major facilities, including power plants and refineries, will still be covered.

    (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Howard Goller)