TRENTON – Senator John McKeon released a statement on the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision to overturn the longstanding Chevron Doctrine, which allowed courts to defer to the expertise of federal agencies to interpret and enforce federal regulations.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the doctrine of Chevron deference will be disastrous for our environment and shows how oblivious the Court is to what is happening worldwide,” said Senator McKeon (D- Essex/Passaic), a member of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. “Just the other day, the New York Times reported how New Jersey is the third fastest-warming state in the nation. Simply put, climate change is hitting our state hard.  In the decades to come, we will continue to see the devastating effects of prolonged heat waves and worsening storms and floods.

“By ending this 40-year precedent, the Court has set us back further in the fight against climate change and handed victory to the fossil fuel industry. It takes regulatory power away from proven subject matter experts at federal agencies and puts it in the hands of judges who likely have little to no knowledge of the issues at hand.

“Many of the environmental regulations that we rely on in the fight against climate change are determined by scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, not by statute. The overturning of Chevron deference will allow federal judges to strike down regulations on critical low-carbon energy initiatives, such as limits on vehicle emissions or corporate climate disclosures.

“This decision is nothing short of catastrophic for the health of the American people and our environment.”