The US Supreme Court’s dive Wednesday into the seemingly straightforward question of who can challenge an agency decision on storing highly radioactive nuclear waste could have significant implications for federal regulatory power.

The case examines whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has the authority to grant a license to Interim Storage Partners, Inc., to proceed with plans to construct a storage facility in West Texas. The NRC has also approved a license for a group that intends to build a similar project deep underground in southeastern New Mexico.