New Emails Document Pruitt’s Alliance With Industries He Now Must Regulate

New Emails Document Pruitt's Alliance With Industries He Now Must Regulate

A trove of emails released on Tuesday reaffirms that the Trump administration has given responsibility for the federal government’s fight for clean air and water to what may be the country’s most robust critic of clean air and clean water laws.

Senate Pushed Vote Confirming EPA Chief Ahead of New Evidence

A trove of emails released on Tuesday reaffirms that the Trump administration has given responsibility for the federal government’s fight for clean air and water to what may be the country’s most robust critic of clean air and clean water laws.

The emails indicate that as Attorney General of Oklahoma, new EPA administrator Scott Pruitt “closely coordinated with major oil and gas producers, electric utilities and political groups with ties to the libertarian billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch to roll back environmental regulations,” The New York Times reported.

The Times said the messages include draft letters drafted for Pruitt by energy company lobbyists “to send to federal regulators in an attempt to block federal regulations intended to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas wells, ozone air pollution, and chemicals used in fracking.” Other emails in the collection document “secret meetings to discuss more comprehensive ways to combat the Obama administration’s environmental agenda,” the newspaper said.

The documents were made public thanks to an Oklahoma Open Records Act lawsuit filed by the Madison, WI-based Center for Media and Democracy. A state court ordered the release last week but gave Pruitt until Tuesday to compile and emails; in the meantime, Senate Republicans pushed through Pruitt’s nomination to head the EPA.

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