ENVIRONMENT/EPA: “A federal court on Tuesday [Jan. 19, 2021] struck down the Trump administration’s scaled-down replacement of the Obama administration’s signature climate change regulation for power plants, a final blow to its environmental deregulatory agenda on President Donald Trump’s last day in office. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decided […]
Category: EPA
1/12/2021
CLIMATE CHANGE/ENVIRONMENT/EPA: “In a surprise move, the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday [Jan. 13, 2021] will unveil a climate rule that will effectively prohibit the future regulation of greenhouse gases from any stationary industry other than power plants. The rule comes just eight days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who has pledged a […]
1/8/2021
EPA/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Environmental Protection Agency […]
12/9/2020
EPA/REGULATIONS/TRUMP ADMIN: “The Trump administration finalized a rule Wednesday [Dec. 9, 2020] that could make it more difficult to enact public health protections, by changing the way the Environmental Protection Agency calculates the costs and benefits of new limits on air pollution. The new cost-benefit requirements, which apply to all future Clean Air Act rules, […]
12/2/2020
ENVIRONMENT/EPA/JOE BIDEN: “EPA’s mission is forged by science and a moral conviction that all Americans have a right to clean air, clean water, and safe and healthy communities, and that a sustainable environment also means a strong economy. While it’s been hard fought and never guaranteed, we have made tremendous progress toward that mission as […]
9/29/2020
ENVIRONMENT/EPA/QUOTE: “‘EPA: One Trillion Trees Initiative will build on President Donald Trump’s commitment’ https://t.co/qQZqgqUrSK?amp=1″ ––Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 29, 2020 4:26 pm […]
9/12/2020
EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Subject only to State approval, our important Ethanol Industry will be allowed to use the 10% Pumps for the 15% BLEND. Thank you! @SenJoniErnst @ChuckGrassley @SenatorFischer @SenJohnThune @SenatorRounds @KimReynoldsIA @EPAAWheeler @SecretarySonny @govkristinoem“ ––Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 12, 2020 4:20 am […]
8/31/2020
ENVIRONMENT/EPA/REGULATIONS/TRUMP ADMIN: “The Trump administration on Monday [Aug. 31, 2020] relaxed strict Obama-era standards for how coal-fired power plants dispose of wastewater laced with dangerous pollutants like lead, selenium and arsenic, a move environmental groups said would leave rivers and streams vulnerable to toxic contamination. The Environmental Protection Agency regulation scaled back the types of […]
2/13/2020
AUTO INDUSTRY/EPA/LEGISLATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Last April, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Wheeler, proclaimed at an auto show here that he would soon roll back President Barack Obama’s stringent fuel efficiency standards. That, the administration contends, would unleash the muscle of the American auto industry. It would also virtually wipe away the government’s biggest […]
12/31/2019
CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A top panel of government-appointed scientists, many of them hand-selected by the Trump administration, said on Tuesday [12-31-19] that three of President Trump’s most far-reaching and scrutinized proposals to weaken major environmental regulations are at odds with established science. Draft letters posted online Tuesday by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Scientific Advisory […]
11/11/2019
ENVIRONMENT/EPA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Environment Protection Agency plans to limit the scientific research that the government can use to form public health regulations, The New York Times reported Monday. [11-11-19]. A draft of the EPA’s proposal obtained by the Times would require scientists to disclose their raw data, including confidential medical records, in order for the […]
10/15/2019
CALIFORNIA/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Andrew Wheeler, accused California of allowing ‘piles of human feces’ on city streets to contaminate sewer systems, leaders of the agency’s West Coast region hastily convened an all-hands meeting of the San Francisco staff. At that meeting, E.P.A. officials informed staff members that Mr. Wheeler’s torrent […]
10/4/2019
AGRICULTURE/ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration Friday announced a sweeping package of changes to federal ethanol rules in an effort to make up with farmers furious with the president’s earlier decisions to exempt dozens of oil refineries from requirements to blend biofuels into the nation’s fuel supply. The package represents a win for ethanol and […]
10/4/2019
AGRICULTURE/ENERGY/EPA/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture jointly proposed new rules on Friday that would increase ethanol consumption at the expense of oil refineries to help corn and soybean farmers buffeted by President Trump’s trade wars. The plan would overhaul the system of quotas for ethanol, a fuel that […]
9/19/2019
AUTO INDUSTRY/CALIFORNIA/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s administration said on Thursday [9-19-19] it is revoking California’s authority to set its own auto tailpipe emissions standards and require some zero-emission vehicles, a move certain to spark a legal battle between federal officials and the most populous state over the future of U.S. vehicles. U.S. Environmental Protection […]
9/12/2019
ENVIRONMENT/EPA/OBAMA/REGULATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration will on Thursday [9-12-19] repeal one of the Obama era’s most sweeping environmental rules — a set of pollution protections for small streams and wetlands that had riled up opposition from coal miners, home developers, farmers and oil and gas drillers. The action creates instant doubts about the legal […]
9/5/2019
AUTO INDUSTRY/CALIFORNIA/ENVIRONMENT/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump is strongly considering a plan to revoke California’s legal authority to set state tailpipe pollution standards that are stricter than federal regulations, according to three people familiar with the matter. The potential challenge to California’s authority, which would be a stinging broadside to the state’s governor and environmentalists, has […]
8/30/2019
CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA/FOREIGN DIGNITARIES/G7/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “World leaders and major companies intent on dealing with climate change have settled on a strategy for handling President Donald Trump: snub him. When Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency this week proposed withdrawing Obama-era rules to limit emissions of methane from oil and gas wells or pipelines, major oil companies said […]
8/29/2019
CLIMATE CHANGE/ENVIRONMENT/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The move to rescind environmental rules governing emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, brings to 84 the total number of environmental rules that the Trump administration has worked to repeal. Officials at the White House, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies have called the regulations burdensome to the fossil […]
8/16/2019
ENERGY/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump last week ended a nearly two-month-long review of the nation’s biofuels program, three sources familiar with the matter said, with the White House siding in favor of oil refiners over corn growers. Trump gave Andrew Wheeler, head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the […]
7/18/2019
CHILDREN/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Environmental Protection Agency has decided against a ban of the widely-used pesticide chlorpyrifos, which critics say is associated with neurological problems in children. The agency concluded there is not sufficient evidence of the chemical’s dangers to justify the ban requested by environmental groups and a group of states. Those groups cast […]
7/18/2019
CHILDREN/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday [7-18-19] said it will not ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, which has been linked to health issues in children, from use on U.S.-grown fruits and vegetables. The agency denied the petition by a dozen environmental groups, led by Earthjustice, to ban the pesticide. They […]
7/8/2019
DEMS/ENVIRONMENT/EPA/OBAMA/POLLS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump praised his own environmental record on Monday [7-8-19] and attacked the Obama administration’s ‘relentless war’ on U.S. energy. But a close look at his rhetoric reveals he is taking credit for pollution reductions that have taken place under previous presidents — and undertaking an aggressive agenda of weakening air […]
6/19/2019
CLIMATE CHANGE/ENERGY/EPA/OBAMA/REGULATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration on Wednesday [6-19-19] issued its long-awaited replacement for former President Barack Obama’s most ambitious climate change regulation, rolling back rules in an effort to salvage the declining role of coal in the nation’s power supply. Critics charge that the new rule would cripple the fight against climate change […]
6/6/2019
AUTO INDUSTRY/ENVIRONMENT/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Seventeen major automakers urged President Donald Trump on Thursday [6-6-19] to moderate his administration’s plan to freeze auto emissions standards and avoid a clash with California over rules designed to promote more efficient vehicles. The message from automakers comes just weeks before a final rule attacking the state and rolling back […]
4/19/2019
COURTS/ENVIRONMENT/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A federal appeals court on Friday has given the EPA 90 days to take action on demands by environmental groups to ban a widely used pesticide. Groups are hoping that the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco will mean that the government will soon […]
4/9/2019
ENERGY/EPA/TEXAS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump will issue two executive orders in the heart of the Texas energy hub on Wednesday [4-10-19] seeking to speed gas, coal and oil projects delayed by coastal states as he looks to build support ahead of next year’s election. Trump’s orders will direct his Environmental Protection Agency to change a […]
2/28/2019
DEMS/EPA/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Senate confirmed Andrew Wheeler as EPA’s fifteenth administrator Thursday [2-28-19], cementing the authority of one of President Donald Trump’s most effective and prolific de-regulators. He was confirmed by a vote of 52-47. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me.) was the only Republican to vote against him; no Democrats voted for him. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema […]
1/9/2019
EPA/ETHICS/NOMINATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump has formally nominated Andrew Wheeler to be EPA administrator, cementing the no-nonsense former attorney as his pick to carry out his deregulatory agenda, the White House announced today. The nomination was expected after Trump announced his intention in November. Democrats are likely to attack Wheeler for his aggressive […]
12/19/2018
CALIFORNIA/ENERGY/EPA/OBAMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “California and 12 other states, plus Chicago, are asking the Trump administration to stop rolling back an Obama rule requiring oil and gas companies to conduct frequent checks for methane leaks and upgrade technology to prevent the gas from escaping. They argue the move would constitute a direct violation of the federal […]
12/12/2018
ENVIRONMENT/EPA/OBAMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is moving forward with a significant rollback of an Obama-era clean water regulation that has become a rallying cry for farmers and property-rights activists opposed to federal overreach. The new proposal, unveiled Tuesday [12-11-18] morning by acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and other administration officials, would ease Washington’s oversight […]
12/6/2018
ENVIRONMENT/EPA/REGULATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is expected to put forth a proposal on Tuesday [12-11-18] that would significantly weaken a major Obama-era regulation on clean water, according to a talking points memo from the Environmental Protection Agency that was distributed to White House allies this week. The Obama rule was designed to limit pollution […]
12/6/2018
CLIMATE CHANGE/ENERGY/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration will reverse an Obama-era coal emissions rule as part of its effort to loosen restrictions on the coal industry, just days after a US government report warned that aggressive action is needed to curb greenhouse gases and ease the impact of global warming. The reversal won’t lead to […]
12/3/2018
CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Andrew Wheeler, the former coal lobbyist who is now acting administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, was a ‘driving force’ behind the agenda of Sen. James Inhofe, who called climate change a ‘hoax,’ according to people familiar with Wheeler’s work for the senator. President Donald Trump has said he intends to nominate […]
12/3/2018
AUTO INDUSTRY/ENVIRONMENT/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration will ratchet down its forecast of the number of lives that would be saved by rolling back the Obama vehicle fuel efficiency standards, an administration source told POLITICO. The change would reduce one of the main benefits that the administration had touted in a rule change it proposed […]
11/16/2018
CABINET/EPA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Andrew Wheeler, a former congressional aide and lobbyist who has led the Environmental Protection Agency since his scandal-plagued predecessor resigned earlier this year, got President Donald Trump’s nod Friday for the permanent job. Wheeler’s promotion from acting to permanent EPA chief would keep him as a methodical and effective agent in Trump’s mission […]
11/16/2018
ENVIRONMENT/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Trump on Friday [11-16-18] said he intends to nominate Andrew R. Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, to be the permanent administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The E.P.A. has been at the center of the Trump administration’s agenda to reduce the regulations on industry, and Mr. Wheeler has been instrumental […]
10/17/2018
EPA/REGULATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House unveiled its semi-annual update on regulatory actions, known formally as the Unified Agenda, last night, breaking down the status of the rules under construction at each agency.The administration touted its look at CAFE and greenhouse gas standards, noting it is projecting to save between $120 and $340 billion in […]
10/12/2018
AGRICULTURE/ENERGY [ALTERNATIVE]/EPA/RALLY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s hyping of a plan to boost ethanol demand drew cheers at an Iowa rally on Tuesday [10-9-18], but the oil refining industry has promised a lawsuit to block the move, so victory for Midwest farmers is far from certain. Trump on Tuesday indicated that the U.S. Environmental Protection […]
10/9/2018
AGRICULTURE/ENERGY [ALTERNATIVE]/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is moving to allow year-round sales of gasoline with higher blends of ethanol, a boon for Iowa and other farm states that have pushed for greater sales of the corn-based fuel. President Donald Trump announced he is lifting a federal ban on summer sales of high-ethanol blends during […]
10/9/2018
ENERGY [ALTERNATIVE]/EPA/RALLY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The president is hitting the campaign trail in Iowa today — a few hours after he gives the state’s ethanol industry a big policy win in Washington. President Donald Trump plans to direct EPA to clear the way for gas stations to offer 15 percent ethanol blends year-round, something he has […]
10/8/2018
AGRICULTURE/ELECTION/ENERGY [ALTERNATIVE]/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump will seek to lift a federal ban on summer sales of higher-ethanol blends of gasoline on Tuesday [10-9-18], a senior White House official said, delivering on a move long-sought by anxious Midwest farmers ahead of November’s elections. The move will be coupled with restrictions on biofuel credit […]
10/8/2018
AGRICULTURE/ELECTION/ENERGY[ALTERNATIVE]/EPA/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to expand sales of corn ethanol on Tuesday [10-9-18], delivering a gift to farm state Republicans a month before the midterm elections. The move ends months of bitter behind-the-scenes fighting between corn backers and the oil industry over Trump’s calls to increase ethanol sales, […]
10/07/2018
ELECTION/ENERGY [ALTERNATIVE]/EPA/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce the lifting of a federal ban on summer sales of higher-ethanol blends of gasoline on Tuesday [10-9-18] in Washington DC ahead of a trip to Iowa the same day, according to two sources familiar with the planning of the event. The move, expected […]
9/27/2018
EPA/REGULATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Environmental Protection Agency plans to dissolve its Office of the Science Advisor, a senior post that was created to counsel the E.P.A. administrator on the scientific research underpinning health and environmental regulations, according to a person familiar with the agency’s plans. The person spoke anonymously because the decision had not yet […]
9/11/2018
CALIFORNIA/CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Gov. Jerry Brown used the spotlight of a global climate change conference to excoriate the Trump administration for rolling back restrictions on releasing methane, calling the reversal ‘insane.’ ‘It borders on criminality,’ Brown said to applause from an international audience of climate experts and government officials gathered in San Francisco. As […]
9/10/2018
CLIMATE CHANGE/ENERGY/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration, taking its third major step this year to roll back federal efforts to fight climate change, is preparing to make it significantly easier for energy companies to release methane into the atmosphere. Methane, which is among the most powerful greenhouse gases, routinely leaks from oil and gas wells, […]
8/29/2018
ENERGY [ALTERNATIVE]/EPA/OBAMA/REGULATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is reviewing a major Obama-era clean air regulation on the emission of mercury — a pollutant linked with damage to the brain, to the nervous system and to fetal development — with the intent of proposing a replacement rule, a spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday […]
8/14/2018
ENERGY/EPA/TRANSPORTATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As the Trump administration moves to freeze vehicle fuel efficiency standards, some regulatory officials have disputed the Transportation Department rationale that the plan would significantly cut traffic deaths, internal documents made public on Tuesday [8-14-18] showed. The Transportation Department under President Donald Trump has proposed rolling back Obama administration rules requiring tough […]
8/2/2018
AUTO INDUSTRY/CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA/REGULATIONS/TRANSPORTATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration on Thursday [8-2-18] unveiled its long-awaited proposal to dramatically weaken an Obama-era regulation designed to limit vehicle emissions, which contribute to climate change. The publication of the proposal sets up a race among opponents of the change — an unusual mix of environmentalists, automakers, consumer groups and […]
8/2/2018
AUTO INDUSTRY/CALIFORNIA/CLIMATE CHANGE/ENERGY/EPA/TRANSPORTATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration took direct aim Thursday [8-2-18]at California’s role as de facto auto regulator for the nation, proposing to end the state’s ability to set its own fuel-efficiency standards and to dial back Obama-era limits on tailpipe emissions. The proposal would eliminate the sharp increase in fuel-economy mandates adopted […]
8/1/2018
BUSINESS/CALIFORNIA/EPA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Acting U.S. EPA chief Andrew Wheeler told lawmakers on Wednesday [8-1-18] he would welcome any deal between the auto industry and states like California that might result from a long-awaited Trump administration effort to roll back vehicle emission rules. The Trump administration’s proposal on vehicle fuel efficiency, which would roll back Obama-era standards, […]
7/28/2018
EPA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The lawyer nominated to run the Superfund toxic cleanup program is steeped in the complexities of restoring polluted rivers and chemical dumps. He spent more than a decade on one of the nation’s most extensive cleanups, one involving Dow Chemical’s sprawling headquarters in Midland, Mich. But while he led Dow’s legal strategy there, […]
7/27/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Environmental Protection Agency will now enforce an Obama-era rule that limits diesel truck emissions, reversing one of the final decisions made under former agency chief Scott Pruitt…Without referring to Pruitt by name, Wheeler noted the decision made earlier this month was both proposed and approved by EPA offices on the same […]
7/11/2018
EPA/ETHICS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “In his first public appearance since taking over as the acting head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Wheeler told employees gathered at agency headquarters Wednesday [7-11-18] that he was ‘proud’ of his work as a coal industry lobbyist. Wheeler, who took the agency’s helm on Monday [7-9-18], spoke to employees and the […]
7/11/2018
EPA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s acting chief said on Wednesday [7-11-18] he would push to cut regulations on industry and speed up decisions on permits, echoing the policies of former head Scott Pruitt who stepped down last week. Andrew Wheeler, a longtime Washington insider, took the reins on Monday [7-9-18] after Pruitt, a […]
7/10/2018
CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Long before President Trump nominated him for the Supreme Court on Monday [7-9-18], Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh had already made a name for himself as an influential conservative critic of sweeping environmental regulations. During his 12 years on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, often […]
7/9/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The acting Environmental Protection Agency chief, Andrew Wheeler, is bringing to the job a ‘change in tone,’ the agency said, that could shed greater light on the decisions and actions of EPA leadership. The EPA’s former administrator, Scott Pruitt, broke with his predecessors’ common practices of publishing a calendar online and announcing […]
7/8/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Scott Pruitt’s brief, tumultuous tenure as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency has left him disgraced in the eyes of many in Washington and across the country. But it may not have done him much harm in his home state. Though a comeback for Mr. Pruitt is far from assured, some […]
7/6/2018
DEMS/EPA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Andrew Wheeler, the new acting head of the Environmental Protection Agency, should do everything he can ‘to restore the American people’s confidence in the agency’s mission, which is the protection of human health and our environment,’ Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, wrote in a […]
7/5/2018
CLIMATE CHANGE/ENERGY/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration has drafted a new proposal to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, one that is far less stringent than the climate plan finalized in 2015 by former President Barack Obama. In writing the new rule to replace Mr. Obama’s Clean Power Plan, the Trump administration is […]
7/5/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Scott Pruitt’s once bright political future is in doubt after his sudden fall from grace as head of the EPA, following an avalanche of revelations about his first-class flights, pricey security trappings, backdoor raises for proteges and sweetheart deals with lobbyists stretching from his Oklahoma roots to his arrival in Washington. Some […]
7/5/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has resigned after months of ethics controversies, President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday [7-5-18]…An ethics cloud hung over Pruitt for months, as lawmakers from both parties, environmental groups and government watchdogs raised questions about his spending, housing arrangements, security team and raises for political appointees. A […]
7/5/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has resigned from his post, President Donald Trump said. Mr. Pruitt exits amid a series of allegations over ethics and spending. ‘I have accepted the resignation of Scott Pruitt as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Within the Agency Scott has done an outstanding job, […]
7/5/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Two Democratic Congressmen Thursday [7-5-18] called on the EPA’s Inspector General to investigate whether Administrator Scott Pruitt committed a federal crime by allegedly hiding or falsifying records of meetings and discussions with industry representatives. The calls for the IG to examine Pruitt come two days after an exclusive CNN investigation featuring […]
7/5/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “I have accepted the resignation of Scott Pruitt as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Within the Agency Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this. The Senate confirmed Deputy at EPA, Andrew Wheeler, will…” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 5, 2018 […]
7/5/2018
EPA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “…on Monday [7-9-18] assume duties as the acting Administrator of the EPA. I have no doubt that Andy will continue on with our great and lasting EPA agenda. We have made tremendous progress and the future of the EPA is very bright!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 5, 2018 2:37 pm […]
7/5/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, who pleased President Donald Trump with his aggressive efforts to roll back environmental regulations, resigned on Thursday [5-7-18] under heavy fire for a series of ethics controversies. Pruitt had been under scrutiny for months for his first-class travel at taxpayer expense, lavish spending on […]
7/3/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and his aides have kept ‘secret’ calendars and schedules to overtly hide controversial meetings or calls with industry representatives and others, according to a former EPA official who is expected to soon testify before Congress. A review of EPA documents by CNN found discrepancies between Pruitt’s official calendar […]
6/28/2018
CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The retirement of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy from the Supreme Court could significantly reshape environmental law in the decades ahead and potentially make it easier for the Trump administration to roll back Obama-era climate change policies in the coming years, legal experts said. In his 30 years on the court, […]
6/19/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt will testify before the Senate’s environment committee in August, panel chairman Senator John Barrasso said on Tuesday [6-19-18], where he will face questions about spending and ethics controversies. Barrasso said previously that he would call Pruitt to testify about Pruitt’s spending on first class travel, […]
6/14/2018
CALIFORNIA/EPA/TRANSPORTATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “White House officials will have a new round of meetings with an automakers trade group and California’s ‘clean air’ agency next week before unveiling a proposal to reverse rules aimed at increasing fuel efficiency, participants said on Thursday. The rules, negotiated with automakers by President Barack Obama’s administration in 2011, aimed to […]
6/7/2018
EPA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Trump administration, after heavy lobbying by the chemical industry, is scaling back the way the federal government determines health and safety risks associated with the most dangerous chemicals on the market, documents from the Environmental Protection Agency show. Under a law passed by Congress during the final year of the Obama administration, […]
6/6/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt loves eating at the White House mess, an exclusive U.S. Navy-run restaurant open only to White House officials, Cabinet members and other dignitaries. But apparently he liked it too much, and the White House asked him to please eat elsewhere sometimes. In response to Pruitt’s recurring use of […]
6/6/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday [6-6-18] praised the job being done by Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, who is under fire over ethics and spending issues…Trump’s praise follows mounting ethics concerns about Pruitt. The EPA chief has been criticized for paying below-market rent on a lobbyist-owned condominium, for his routine […]
6/4/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt had a top aide seek a used mattress from the Trump International Hotel and perform other personal chores for him, including house-hunting and booking personal travel, according to testimony released Monday [6-4-18]. Millan Hupp’s transcribed interview last month before a panel of House Oversight and Government […]
6/1/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A lawyer tapped to lead a task force at the Environmental Protection Agency overseeing cleanups at the nation’s most polluted places worked until recently for a top chemical and plastics manufacturer with a troubled legacy of creating some of those toxic sites. Steven D. Cook has been named as the new chair […]
5/25/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Security costs for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt tally up to nearly $3.5 million for the past year, according to figures the agency released Friday [5-25-18]. The documents show the agency spent $2,726,719 on pay for the team of 19 agents who protect Pruitt around the clock. The agency also spent […]
5/15/2018
ENERGY [ALTERNATIVE]/EPA/GOP/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republican Senator Chuck Grassley on Tuesday [5-15-18] said Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt must scale back the use of biofuels waivers for small refineries, or else he will join other lawmakers calling for Pruitt’s resignation. The demand ramps up pressure on the embattled EPA administrator, who is already under pressure […]
5/14/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Scott Pruitt’s unprecedented 24/7 security detail began at his own request and on his first day as Environmental Protection Agency administrator, according to a letter from the agency’s inspector general, contradicting his claim the around-the-clock protection was a response to an assessment of death threats against him. Pruitt ‘requested 24/7 protection once […]
5/11/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday [5-11-18] said that embattled Environmental Protection Agency Director Scott Pruitt still has his confidence. Pruitt has been criticized for a series of potential ethics lapses, including flying first class, excessive spending on security, and the rental of a room in a Washington condominium owned by the […]
5/8/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “On a trip to Morocco last year, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and his staff missed a connecting flight and spent more than 24 hours in Paris because his security detail’s weapons and other gear couldn’t be transferred between the planes in time, his former security chief told congressional staffers last […]
5/7/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Environmental Protection Agency had a total of 33 threat investigations underway as of mid-March — 10 of them involving Scott Pruitt from the last six months — a security assessment released Monday [5-7-18] shows, offering the most detailed tally yet of threats against the agency’s top official. The memos, provided […]
5/3/2018
EPA/ETHICS/LOBBYING/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Since moving to Washington, Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has attracted the attention of federal investigators because of his unusual association with lobbyists, including his rental of a condominium last year owned by the wife of a lobbyist with business before the E.P.A. As a state senator in […]
5/3/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The top spokeswoman for Environmental Protection Agency is leaving the agency, the third departure this week of an aide close to Administrator Scott Pruitt, who is facing investigations into management and spending practices. Liz Bowman’s announcement follows the exit of two other top EPA officials—Mr. Pruitt’s head of security and the administrator […]
5/1/2018
CALIFORNIA/EPA/LAWSUIT/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A coalition led by California sued the Trump administration over car emissions rules on Tuesday [5-1-18], escalating a revolt against a proposed rollback of fuel economy standards that threatens to split the country’s auto market. In a lawsuit filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, […]
4/27/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Scott Pruitt has something to boast about when it comes to the Environmental Protection Agency’s record on cleaning up toxic sites since he took over the agency. But it’s a boast only made possible by achievements of the Obama administration…The EPA declared seven cleanups complete from its Superfund priority list last year, […]
4/26/2018
DEMS/EPA/GOP/HEARING/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is testifying on Capitol Hill on Thursday [4-26-18] afternoon, the second and final session in what’s turning out to be a daylong grilling over allegations of ethical infractions and lavish spending. The E.P.A. chief, whose job may be hanging by a thread, delivered […]
4/26/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt on Thursday rejected a litany of ethics complaints against him as distortions intended to derail President Donald Trump’s agenda, and put much of the blame for any agency missteps on his staff.During two tense congressional hearings, Pruitt faced tough questions from Democrats and even some […]
4/26/2018
DEMS/EPA/ETHICS/GOP/HEARINGS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, yet another Trump administration official with his job on the line over ethical concerns, took heat from lawmakers Thursday [4-26-18] over his profligate spending and lobbyist ties and tried to divert responsibility to underlings. The EPA administrator said ‘twisted’ allegations against him were meant to undermine […]
4/26/2018
DEMS/EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, fought back Thursday [4-26-18] against Democratic criticism of his spending and policies, asserting that the attacks were driven by opposition to President Donald Trump’s agenda. In a largely partisan hearing before a House subcommittee, Mr. Pruitt said he recognized the ‘very troubling reports’ […]
4/25/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republican senators say they want President Donald Trump’s embattled environmental chief to address questions about ethics and spending decisions. But GOP lawmakers who have stood behind Scott Pruitt are stopping short of calling for him to step down, for now. They do say his answers at House hearings Thursday could prove crucial […]
4/24/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new regulation Tuesday [4-24-18] that would restrict the kinds of scientific studies the agency can use when it develops policies, a move critics say will permanently weaken the agency’s ability to protect public health. Under the measure, the E.P.A. will require that the underlying data for […]
4/24/2018
CONFLICT OF INTEREST/EPA/MEDIA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The former Secret Service agent who leads the security detail for Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, worked on assignments for the tabloid news publisher American Media Inc. during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to records and interviews. The security official, Pasquale Perrotta, had received a waiver […]
4/24/2018
EPA: “The Environmental Protection Agency plans to restrict research used in developing regulations, the agency said Tuesday [4-24-18], a change that could affect rules governing everything from household products to power-plant emissions. The proposed rule—which would only allow the use of studies if their underlying data is made public—prompted an uproar from scientists, who said […]
4/21/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Early in Scott Pruitt’s political career, as a state senator from Tulsa, he attended a gathering at the Oklahoma City home of an influential telecommunications lobbyist who was nearing retirement and about to move away. The lobbyist said that after the 2003 gathering, Mr. Pruitt — who had a modest legal practice […]
4/20/2018
CONGRESS/EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Some of the most reliable conservatives in Congress are starting to speak out against Scott Pruitt, the chief of the Environmental Protection Agency who is now facing a barrage of ethics and spending questions. Previously, conservative Republicans had shown a reluctance to question the actions of top Trump administration officials. Their […]
4/20/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “One of embattled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s most trusted advisers sought to retroactively change her resignation date a day after the House oversight committee requested to interview her as part of its investigation. Samantha Dravis, Pruitt’s top policy adviser at the Environmental Protection Agency, is scheduled to depart the agency Friday [4-20-18]. […]
4/19/2018
DEMS/EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general will investigate agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s use of his official security detail on recent personal trips, the latest in a string of congressional, White House and internal probes into his spending on security and travel. The investigation comes at the request of Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, […]
4/18/2018
BEN CARSON/EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The White House will look into oversight reports on Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said on Wednesday [4-18-18]…The White House will look into oversight reports on Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Housing […]