Senate Fails to Defeat Mercury Regulation

The NYT reports that the Senate challenge to the controversial EPA regulation on mercury emissions was defeated:

The vote was 51 to 47, largely along party lines. The resolution was brought up for a vote through a rarely used and rarely successful procedure, the Congressional Review Act. It allows lawmakers to challenge regulatory decisions.
Even if the Senate had passed the resolution, it had little chance to go further. Such challenges require approval of the House, which was unlikely to act, as well as the president's signature.

The regulation allows utilities to trade mercury emission allowances. If you live close to a power plant that chooses to buy allowances rather than reduce its own emissions, you're out of luck.