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CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSN. v. NRDC
Supreme Court of United States (1985) | 470 U.S. 116; 105 S.Ct. 1102; 84 L.Ed.2d 90
TL;DR: NRDC challenged EPA’s authority to grant fundamentally different factor variances from toxic pollutant limits. The Court reversed the Third Circuit, holding that the Clean Water Act’s prohibition on modifications for toxic pollutants does not bar these variances and deferring to EPA’s reasonable statutory interpretation.
Legal Significance: The decision applies Chevron deference to EPA’s interpretation of the Clean Water Act, distinguishing variances that correct inadequately drawn regulatory categories from statutory modifications based on economic hardship or water quality.