The Supreme Court appears poised to narrow the scope of law requiring research on “environmental impacts” before starting large development projects, a more than 50-year-old requirement under the National Environmental Policy Act that critics say has led to delays and increased costs for large-scale energy projects.

During arguments on Tuesday, the justices considered a case involving an 88-mile rail line in Utah designed to transport crude oil to Gulf Coast refineries. Environmentalists and local governments have argued that regulators failed to assess the broader environmental consequences of the project, including Gulf Coast air pollution and the risk of rail problems along the route.