A federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to immediately implement an Obama-era chemical safety rule that was created following a 2013 explosion at a fertilizer plant that killed15 people in Texas.

The ruling by the D.C.

Circuit Court counters efforts under the Trump administration to delay environmental regulations first introduced by former president Barack Obama.

The court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to implement the Chemical Disaster Rule, saying the agency did not have authority to delay the rule for 20 months, calling the EPA's actions "arbitrary and capricious".

The chemical safety rule was first issued by the EPA a week before Trump took office, requiring third-party audits, stricter emergency preparedness among other safety measures.

Supporters of delaying the rule argued the 2013 explosion at the West Fertilizer Company was caused by arson and so stricter measures by the EPA wouldn't have prevented explosion.

An EPA spokesman said the agency was reviewing the ruling.

This comes after a string of legal blows for the EPA, including a federal appeals court ruling Thursday ordering the EPA to ban a widely-used pesticide that critics say can endanger children and farmers.