http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-scotus/2006/nov/24/112409162.htmlA prominent member of the Supreme Court bar, the small circle of lawyers who regularly appear before the justices, infuriated environmental groups by presenting an argument the groups say is demonstrably incorrect.
The claim a month ago by Washington attorney Carter Phillips that the federal government had changed course in regulating emissions from coal-fired power plants is simply not true and a paper trail of the industry's own documents proves it, the groups say.
The case, Environmental Defense v. Duke Energy Corp., could determine the fate of an Environmental Protection Agency initiative targeting some of the biggest utilities in the nation. Phillips, representing Duke, is managing partner at the Washington office of the law firm Sidley Austin and has argued more than 50 cases at the Supreme Court.
"These companies are bent on getting away with 20 years of illegal pollution by trying to deceive the Supreme Court," said Natural Resources Defense Council clean air director John Walke, who is a former EPA attorney.
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