Action
CHI members are active in the climate and health space within DC and beyond. Some member activities include providing comments in response to requests for information from federal agencies, co-signing an Amicus Brief submitted to the Supreme Court, engaging in public testimony, and giving input to local and national media organizations.
Amicus Brief to the Supreme Court - West Virginia v. the Environmental Protection Agency
Several members of the Climate and Health Institute contributed to an Amicus Brief submitted to the Supreme Court by a group of public health organizations, schools, and medical groups. The case West Virginia v. EPA sought to question the congressional authority delegated to the Environmental Protection Agency to broadly regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide is a pollutant known to drive climate change and impact human health; and as it stands, the EPA is mandated to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act. The amicus brief was filed in support of EPA’s retention of the regulatory function outlined under the Clean Air Act and concludes that the 1971 court of appeals judgment should be affirmed.
Argument for West Virginia v EPA took place on February 28, 2022. On June 30, 2022, the Court issued a 6-3 ruling that EPA did not have the authority to regulate emissions from existing power plants based on generation shifting mechanisms.
The brief saw direct contributions from Climate and Health Institute Director Susan Anenberg and Michael and Lori Milken Dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health, Lynn R. Goldman. Additionally, CHI Member Katelyn O’Dell was cited in the brief for her research showing that wildfire smoke affects health across the entire United States.