May 5, 2017
Washington, D.C.
In response to the announcement that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will recuse himself from several major EPA cases because of his history opposing the EPA in those very cases, Greenpeace Senior Climate Campaigner Naomi Ages said:
The fact that Scott Pruitt has to recuse himself from so many cases, many of which are extremely high profile, is evidence that he shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the EPA. As Oklahoma Attorney General, he was an irritating obstacle to the EPA’s efforts to protect our communities’ health and future. As EPA administrator Pruitt is a menace to the air, water, land, climate, and well-being of us all.
Pruitt has always been unqualified and inappropriate for this position. The irony is that now he won’t even be available to deliver on many of the Trump Administration’s core reasons for appointing him. Still, it is a concern that decision making will now be pushed further into the dark hallways of Pruitt’s EPA, which has yet to be populated by the many deputies Trump is expected to appoint. Yes, Pruitt’s direct oversight has been curtailed, but now who is in charge of representing the people in these critical decisions?
