Supreme Court Rejects Exxon Appeal Upholding $14.25M Air Pollution Penalty

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case concerning the operation of the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline in Michigan, focusing on jurisdictional disputes over state orders to halt the pipeline amid environmental concerns. However, the court declined to review ExxonMobil's challenge to a $14.25 million civil penalty related to Clean Air Act violations at its Baytown, Texas refinery. This penalty stems from a long-running lawsuit initiated by environmental groups alleging the refinery emitted harmful, unlawful air pollutants affecting local communities. Exxon had argued that plaintiffs lacked standing under the Fifth Circuit’s standard, which the Supreme Court rejected, allowing the penalty to stand as the largest ever in a citizen-initiated Clean Air Act enforcement case. Environmental advocates, including the Sierra Club and Environment Texas, hailed the decision as a significant victory for community health and environmental accountability. The court's refusal to hear Exxon’s appeal underscores its stance on citizen enforcement rights under the Clean Air Act while the Enbridge pipeline case signals ongoing judicial involvement in energy infrastructure disputes.