来源：《美联社新闻》
原文刊登日期：2021年10月16日
本文适合2023考生
Chief Justice John Roberts has rejected a Supreme Court stay request from the St. Louis-based natural gas company Spire Inc. to allow it to keep operating a pipeline through Illinois and Missouri.
首席大法官约翰·罗伯茨拒绝了位于圣路易斯的天然气公司Spire提出的最高法院暂缓执行的请求，该公司要求允许其继续运营一条穿越伊利诺伊州和密苏里州的管道。
Roberts did not comment Friday in refusing to temporarily pause a lower court order affecting the operation of the Spire STL Pipeline. The company could be forced to stop operating the pipeline on Dec. 13 unless the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission extends an emergency order granted in September.
周五，罗伯茨拒绝暂时暂停一项影响Spire-STL管道运营的下级法院命令，对此罗伯茨不予置评。除非联邦能源管理委员会延长9月份发布的紧急命令，否则该公司可能被迫在12月13日停止运营该管道。
Scott Smith, president of Spire STL Pipeline, said in a statement that the company was disappointed in the decision.
Spire-STL管道公司总裁斯科特·史密斯在一份声明中表示，该公司对这一决定感到失望。
“Shutting down the Pipeline could potentially lead to widespread, prolonged, and life-threatening natural-gas service disruptions for residents and businesses in the greater St. Louis region,” Smith said. “Spire STL Pipeline will continue to fully cooperate with the FERC and other stakeholders to keep this critical infrastructure in service to ensure continued access to reliable, affordable energy for homes and businesses in the greater St. Louis region.”
史密斯说：“关闭天然气管道可能会导致大圣路易斯地区居民和企业普遍、长期和致命的天然气服务中断。Spire-STL管道将继续与FERC和其他利益相关方充分合作，以保持这一关键基础设施的服务，确保大圣路易斯地区的家庭和企业继续获得可靠、价格合理的能源。”
Smith said Spire “retains the ability to return to the Supreme Court for emergency relief if new developments further threaten its ability to serve its customers.”
史密斯说，“如果有新的事态发展进一步威胁到Spire服务客户的能力，Spire保留向最高法院申请紧急救济的能力。”
The environmental group opposing Spire has said the company’s concerns are overblown because FERC is likely to allow the pipeline to continue to operate through the winter.
反对Spire的环保组织表示，该公司的担忧言过其实，因为FERC可能会允许管道在整个冬季继续运行。
The pipeline runs for 65 miles, from Scott County, Illinois, to near St. Louis, where it connects with a national network. FERC granted approval in 2018.
这条管道全长65英里，从伊利诺斯州的斯科特县一直延伸到圣路易斯附近，并在那里与全美网络相连。FERC于2018年批准了该管道线路。
Spire has called it vital for providing “reliable and critical energy access to 650,000 homes and businesses throughout the St. Louis region.” But the Environmental Defense Fund contended in a lawsuit that the pipeline harms land in its path, and that taxpayers will foot the bill for decades to come.
Spire称，继续运营该管道对“为圣路易斯地区的65万户家庭和企业提供可靠和关键的能源供应”至关重要。但环境保护基金在一场诉讼中称，这条管道损害了其途经的土地，纳税人将在未来几十年为其买单。
In June, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that FERC “failed to adequately balance public benefits and adverse impacts” in approving the pipeline. The panel also wrote that evidence showed the pipeline “is not being built to serve increasing load demand and that there is no indication the new pipeline will lead to cost savings.”
6月，美国哥伦比亚特区巡回上诉法院的一个由三名法官组成的小组裁定，联邦能源监管委员会在批准该管道时“未能充分平衡公共利益和不利影响”。法官小组还写道，有证据表明，这条管道“并不是为了满足日益增长的负荷需求而建造的，也没有迹象表明新管道将带来成本节约。”
The ruling vacated approval of the pipeline, prompting FERC’s 90-day order allowing its continued operation.
这一裁决撤销了对Spire管道的批准，促使FERC下达了90天的命令，允许其继续运营。