In Tucson, Arizona, several Air Force bases have been polluting the drinking water, contaminating it with trichloroethylene, a volatile organic compound produced in industrial work, and PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” which do not naturally break down. These chemicals can accumulate inside the human body and have been linked to a myriad of severe health problems.
In May, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered the Air Force and National Guard to develop a plan to address the pollution, which would cost them an estimated $25 million—just 0.1 percent of the Air Force’s budget. The Air Force refused, stating that “the EPA’s order can not withstand review” and therefore it wouldn’t be beholden to it, according to The Guardian.
The Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in the ruling for Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, leading many to fear that agencies such as the EPA would be stripped of their regulatory power. The court’s decision allows the federal judiciary to take on the role of scientists and policymakers, instead of administrative agencies that are staffed by experts on the issue at hand.
