Supreme Court strikes down Obama's key environmental plan to regulate cancer-causing air pollution

'Today's ruling is a victory for family budgets and job creation in Michigan'

The justices ruled 5-4 on Monday striking down the Obama administration's attempt to limit power plant’s mercury, coal and oil fire-powered emissions.

Bill Schuette, Michigan’s attorney general, applauded today’s ruling in a statement.

"Today's ruling is a victory for family budgets and job creation in Michigan. The court agreed that we can and must find a constructive balance in protecting the environment and continuing Michigan's economic comeback."

However, Nancy Pelosi, the court’s House Minority Leader, said that the decision places “polluters before people” and that it creates “new obstacles for the Environmental Protection Agency's mission to protect our health and environment.”

Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the majority opinion stating that the EPA “gave cost no thought at all.”

According to CNN, the industry would have been forced to spend billions to regulate pollutants which are already controlled by the Clean Air Act programs.

The White House said they were disappointed in the defeat and argued that the air pollutants in question cause major health risks such as birth defects and cancers.

Neil Gormley, an attorney for Earthjustice DC, told CNN that the ruling doesn't change the EPA's authority to protect the public from pollution.

"When you add up all the costs and all the benefits. The health benefits of this rule dwarf the costs to the industry. The public gets 9 dollars of health benefits for every what 1 dollar the industry spends."