LTE: Call on Sen. Warner to oppose Trump’s EPA nominee

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Dear Editor:

President-elect Donald Trump promised to to drain the swamp in Washington, but his picks of Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson to lead the Department of State, and climate-change denier Rick Perry for Energy Secretary, suggest the swamp creatures are positioned to take the reins of government.

Pruitt, whose confirmation hearing is set for Jan. 18, is a climate science denier who, as Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma, regularly conspired with the fossil fuel industry to attack EPA protections. His own website bio describes him as “a leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda,” and he cannot be trusted to head the Environmental Protection Agency.

Pruitt’s record isn’t pretty. He got caught working hand in glove with the oil industry, going so far as to send letters to the White House with his signature and stationary that had actually been written by Big oil lobbyists. The key role of the Environmental Protection Agency is to ensure all Americans — regardless of religion, race, or birthplace — can enjoy clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and have their health protected from environmental and climate threats.

In order to pass safeguards to meet its mission, the EPA bases decisions and policy entirely on science, rather than guesses or assumptions by non-expert sources. This process has protected communities across the country from acid rain, smog, and a litany of other threats.

President-elect Donald Trump’s recent announcement that he plans to appoint Pruitt as EPA Administrator is appalling and unacceptable. He is clearly unfit to head this important, life-protecting agency. Add his picks for the Secretaries of State and Energy and you have the makings of one of the most anti-environmental cabinets in recent history.

That’s why I’m calling on Virginia U.S. Senator Mark Warner’s D.C. Office to oppose this nomination next week, and you can too by dialing (202) 224-2023. Your call makes a difference; the health of our children and the planet is at stake.

Sincerely,

Kendyl Crawford
Conservation Program Manager
422 East Franklin St., Ste 302
Richmond, Va. 23219

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