Since Scott Pruitt began his position as the administrator of the EPA, he has dismantled over 30 environmental regulations and international agreements implemented by former President Barack Obama. This dismantling of so many environmental rules in such a short time frame is unprecedented for the EPA.

In February, Mr. Pruitt filed a proposal of intent to undo the Obama administration’s regulations for the Clean Power Plan, and in May, he reversed a ban on the use of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that the EPA has concluded damages the nervous system of children. In June, he filed a legal plan to repeal the previous administration’s rule restricting pollution in water bodies across the US, and also delayed a rule that would require fossil fuel companies to restrain methane leaks from oil and gas wells, as well as a rule requiring chemical firms to prevent explosions and spills at plants. Mr. Pruitt is also behind the creation of the plan to release the US from the Paris climate change agreement.

As Mr. Pruitt is not conferring with scientists and staff members at the EPA and is instead outsourcing work and input to lawyers, lobbyist groups and Republican state attorneys general, a representative from a government watchdog group has referred to his actions as a “corporate takeover of the Agency.” For his part, Mr. Pruitt argues that he is pursuing the rights of individual states and pushing back on over-reaching federal regulatory control.

Source: New York Times