Scott Pruitt Goes After Critics, His Own Staff In First Speech To EPA

Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt mentioned a “toxic environment” just once during his first address Tuesday to the embattled agency staff. But he wasn’t talking about industry pollution or conserving nature. He was referring to his critics’ political rhetoric. “Forgive the reference, but it’s a very toxic environment,” the controversial new administrator said in the speech, which lasted under 20 minutes.   “Civility is something I believe in very much,” he added. “We ought to be able to get together and wrestle through some issues in a civil manner.” Then, at last, he began to outline his vision for the EPA. He described an agency that prioritized making it easier for polluters to comply with regulations. He promised to listen intently to companies before saddling them with new regulations. He admonished his new employees, some fearing layoffs amid looming budget cuts, for acting outside the agency’s legal mandate and running roughshod over states’ rights. “Regulations ought to make things regular,” Pruitt said. “Regulations exist to give certainty to those they regulate. Those we regulate ought to know what’s expected of them so they can place and allocate resources to comply.” He did not mention climate change or environmental destruction. Pruitt, the former attorney general of Oklahoma, was sworn in last Friday after the Senate voted 52-46 to ...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news