Statements

President Trump and his top aide, Steve Bannon, are charging ahead with their plans to “deconstruct the administrative state,” by threatening vital protections that safeguard food, drinking water, air and public health, said Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president for government affairs.

Key Issues: 

Toxics

Farming

Water

An Oklahoma state judge today ordered Scott Pruitt, the state’s attorney general and President Trump’s nominee for EPA administrator, to release some 3,000 emails between his office and the fossil fuel industry, under a lawsuit filed by the Center for Media and Democracy. The judge gave the attorney general’s office until next Tuesday, Feb. 21, to comply with the order, lending urgency to the growing call for a postponement of the Senate’s vote on Pruitt’s confirmation, scheduled for Friday.

Key Issues: 

Children's Health

Toxics

Water

EWG joined several members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in urging Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to postpone a vote on Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s confirmation to be Environmental Protection Agency administrator. The request comes as an Oklahoma court has scheduled a hearing for later this week over a lawsuit filed by the Center for Media and Democracy, which seeks disclosure of email communications between Pruitt’s office and oil and gas industry officials.

Key Issues: 

Toxics

Water

Statement from Scott Faber, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs:

Scott Pruitt, and now the White House, have repeatedly lied about phosphorus standards for the Illinois River. In response to an EWG report, a spokesperson for the White House this morning said “the fact of the matter is Oklahoma has never had an enforced phosphorus standard until AG Pruitt successfully moved this issue…” Nothing could be further from the truth.

Key Issues: 

Children's Health

Toxics

Water