The Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled for San Francisco in limiting the power of environmental regulators to prevent ocean discharges of polluted stormwater.

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.

The Supreme Court has made it harder for environmental regulators to limit water pollution, ruling for San Francisco in a case about the discharge of raw sewage that sometimes occurs during heavy rains.