Trump pick to lead EPA has spotty state environmental record

The agency’s ethics position is now unclear, meaning Pruitt, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for EPA administrator, could direct the agency to agree with state and industry challenges against sweeping EPA regulation.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt arrived for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Public Works Committee being something close to poster boy for Trump’s selection of nominees to head agencies they’ve roundly criticized – or worse – in the past.

“Let me say to you: science tells us that the climate is changing, and that human activity in some manner impacts that change”, he told senators. Pruitt said he would support the USA renewable fuels standard, which requires biofuels like ethanol to be blended in gasoline, but said the program needed some tweaks.

-The people poised to handle the federal government’s environmental portfolio appear to be trying to have it both ways on climate change: They are denying that it’s a “hoax”, but they are questioning the ability to measure humanity’s contribution with “precision”.

U.S. Senators spent Wednesday in Washington, D.C. asking Pruitt questions to see if he has what it takes to be the EPA’s next leader. Pruitt did nothing at his hearing to assuage state concerns. There are substantive requirements, obligations, authority, jurisdiction granted to the states under our environmental statutes.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) grilled Pruitt over his involvement with the Republican Attorneys General Association and the 501 (c) 4 Rule of Law Defense Fund, calling the latter a “dark money operation”. He blames the current agency of overreach in the Obama administration. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has been a key function of the waiver since that agreement was struck. “Pruitt has made a career of suing the Agency to stop the implementation of rules that protect our water and air from pollution”. He purported that being pro-energy and pro-environment can be mutually exclusive. “Will you commit then to upholding that same standard in recognizing California’s authority to issue its own new mv motor vehicle standards?”

Washington and OR are among the 12 states that have adopted California’s stricter vehicle-emission standards.

“The RFS is critical not just for the jobs in IL, not just to support IL agriculture, but for our national security when it comes to where we’re going to get our energy supply”, Duckworth said. “All of your lawsuits that are on the books right now, if you don’t agree to recuse yourself, you become plaintiff, defendant, judge and jury for claims you’re bringing against the EPA”. “There is nothing that I know that will cause a review at this point”.

In fact, Pruitt has attacked pretty much every federal law and regulation he doesn’t agree with – especially when they are meant to protect average citizens.

“The states are not mere vessels of federal will”, he said.

Citizen’s Climate Lobby activist Mary Francis can’t believe Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is on the verge of becoming EPA administrator.

In Oklahoma, he joined with other Republican attorneys general in opposing the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, which seeks to limit planet-warming carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. “You are going to be the head of the agency to protect the environment, and your personal feelings about whether climate change is caused by human activity and carbon emissions is immaterial?” “We should not succumb to personalizing matters”, he said. Democratic members, on the other hand, were sharply critical of Pruitt’s history, attempting to paint him as a friend to polluters. On Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee questioned Pruitt as they considered him for the position of EPA Administrator.

Pruitt said he couldn’t sue companies without cause.

“Putting Perry in charge of the Department of Energy is the ideal way to ensure the agency fails at everything it is charged to do”, Brune said. Pruitt had changed just a few words.

When asked about the idea, Pruitt said he did not want to “pre-judge” the outcome of the comment period.

Pruitt said sending the letter written nearly entirely by an oil firm was appropriate. “How many letters did you write to the EPA about this health crisis?”