"A coalition of 18 states, one county, and the nation’s three biggest cities sued the EPA on Tuesday in New York federal court over a final rule that restricts how science can be used in future agency rulemaking.

The state and local governments, led by New York state, alleged that the Federal Housekeeping Statute—which the Environmental Protection Agency relied on the as the basis of its Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science rule—grants no authority to the agency. The EPA doesn’t appear on the list of executive departments covered by the statute.

The rule also clashes with the EPA’s duty to use the latest scientific knowledge in regulating under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other statutes, according to the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York."

Stephen Lee reports for Bloomberg Environment January 19, 2021. [2]