On Friday Scott Pruitt, former Oklahoma attorney general, was confirmed by the senate to run the Environmental Protection Agency. A known opponent of the EPA, Pruitt will begin to push forward the Trump administration's plans to do away with major regulations on climate change and the environment. All of this will lead to a minuscule role for environmental enforcement in the federal government.
The Senate voted to confirm Pruitt with a vote of 52-46. Two democrats from coal dependent states crossed party lines to vote for Pruitt. Susan Collins of Maine (R) voted against Oklahoma's former attorney general. During the election, Trump made it clear that he aimed to minimize the role environmental regulations would have on various industries. Now that Pruitt has been confirmed, its clear that campaign promises may be kept.
Many democrats urged Senator Mitch McConnell to delay the confirmation until Tuesday,. Nearly 3,000 of Pruitt's emails were expected to be released on that day. This would most likely unveil Pruitt's true relationship with various fossil fuel companies.
Democrats and leaders of various environmental groups believe that Pruitt is unfit to lead the EPA after spending years of his career fighting the agency. Pruitt is known to have close ties to the fossil fuel industry, as his home state of Oklahoma is heavily dependent on the industry. As the new head of the EPA, Pruitt will now have the final say on regulations surrounding fossil fuels.
As a skeptic of climate change, Pruitt has plans to greatly alter the EPA. With the confirmation complete, it is expected that President Trump will sign multiple executive orders that will undo Obama's climate change goals. While all of Obama's policies can't be immediately reversed, Trump's executive orders would give Pruitt enough power to begin reshaping the agency.
