"WASHINGTON -- A federal judge on Thursday rejected the Obama administration's request to delay by more than a year controversial new regulations targeting emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from industrial boilers.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman is a setback for the White House, which is trying to demonstrate to business leaders that it is prepared to moderate the pace of new regulation.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which sought the delay, said it was disappointed by the ruling giving it just an additional 30 days to issue the rules. The EPA in a statement that it would move to issue rules 'significantly different' than the ones the agency proposed in April 2010."

Stephen Power reports for the Wall Street Journal January 21, 2011. [2]