Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. Country/Territory United States of America Type of court National - higher court Date Jun 25, 1984 Source UNEP, InforMEA Court name Supreme Court of the United States Seat of court Washington D.C. Judge StevensMarshallRehnquistOConnor Reference number 467 U.S. 837 Language English Subject Air & atmosphere, Legal questions Keyword Economy and environment Air pollution (stationary sources) Abstract This case dealt with the question whether an agency’s construction of the statute which it administered was permissible. According to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 certain States were obliged to establish a permit program regulating "new or modified major stationary sources" of air pollution. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations in 1981 permitted a State to adopt a plantwide definition of the term "stationary source". An existing plant that contained several pollution-emitting devices could modify one piece of equipment without meeting the permit conditions if the alteration would not increase the total emissions from the plant. Thereby a State could treat all of the pollution-emitting devices within the same industrial grouping as though they were encased within a single "bubble." Respondents stated that the "bubble concept" was contrary to law. The Supreme Court held that EPA’s plantwide definition was a permissible construction of the statutory term "stationary source. It was of the view that Congress did not have a specific intention as to the applicability of the "bubble concept" in these cases. It emphasized that the plantwide definition was fully consistent with the policy of allowing reasonable economic growth while at the same time serving environmental objectives. The interpretation of the statute represented a reasonable accommodation of manifestly competing interests, and was entitled to deference. Full text USSC_CR_0467_0837_ZO.html References Cited by Environmental Defense, et al., Petitioners v. Duke Energy Corporation et al. Jurisprudence | National - higher court | United States of America | Apr 2, 2007 Keyword: Emissions, Air pollution (stationary sources), Air quality/air pollution Source: UNEP, InforMEA PUD No. 1 of Jefferson County v. Washington Department of Ecology Jurisprudence | National - higher court | United States of America | May 31, 1994 Keyword: Certification, Water abstraction, Hydropower generation, Water quality standards Source: UNEP, InforMEA Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County, Petitioner, v. United States Army Corps of Engineers, et al. Jurisprudence | National - higher court | United States of America | Jan 9, 2001 Keyword: Legal proceedings/administrative proceedings, Migratory species, Navigation, Water quality standards Source: UNEP, InforMEA