The Supreme Court's decision is the latest in which conservative justices have reined in pollution control efforts.

The conservative Supreme Court aligned with liberal San Francisco on Tuesday, ruling that federal environmental regulators overstepped their authority by attempting to impose vague limits on how much raw sewage the California city may pump into the Pacific Ocean.

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its authority under the Clean Water Act by imposing unclear water quality standards on San Francisco, siding with the city in its appeal of a lower court ruling.