National supremacy, air or water pollution: Supreme Court decisions

Every U.S. Supreme Court decision from the 1946 through 2025 Terms that the Supreme Court Database classifies under the issue “National supremacy, air or water pollution,” part of the Federalism area.

5decisions

40%favorable to the petitioner

0%unanimous

1altered precedent or struck a law

Decisions by decade

1950s1

1970s2

1980s1

1990s1

Most majority opinions

Byron R. White2

Sandra Day O'Connor1

William J. Brennan Jr.1

Potter Stewart1

Legal provisions most often involved

Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)2

42 U.S.C. § 96011

Clean Air Act1

Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act)1

All 5 decisions, newest first

New York v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
505 U.S. 144Decided June 19, 19926–3Sandra Day O'Connor
Pennsylvania v. Union Gas Co.
491 U.S. 1Decided June 15, 19895–4William J. Brennan Jr.
Hancock v. Train
426 U.S. 167Decided June 7, 19767–2Byron R. White
Environmental Protection Agency v. California ex Rel. State Water Resources Control Board
426 U.S. 200Decided June 7, 19767–2Byron R. White
Huron Portland Cement Co. v. City of Detroit
362 U.S. 440Decided April 25, 19607–2Potter Stewart

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error