"EPA Questions Pruitt’s Link To Oil, Gas"

"Scott Pruitt will take the helm at the Environmental Protection Agency this week facing questions about his relationship with fossil fuels companies and a workforce that, at least in part, seems skeptical about his plans for the agency.

The former Oklahoma attorney general, who made his political mark by routinely challenging Obama-era EPA regulations in court, won confirmation to the post Friday, overcoming intense opposition from Democrats who sought to push the vote until later this month. It was a key win for President Trump, who has struggled to get many of his Cabinet nominees through the Senate, and for conservative critics of the EPA eager to see Mr. Pruitt roll back many of the climate change policies put in place over the past eight years.

But Mr. Pruitt’s tenure already is off to a rocky start. Some employees have publicly spoken out against their new boss, with one EPA lawyer telling The New York Times last week that it appears Mr. Trump and Mr. Pruitt are undertaking a “complete reversal” of decades of agency policy."

Ben Wolfgang reports for the Washington Times February 19, 2017.

SEE ALSO:

"Senate Confirms Trump's Controversial EPA Pick—Without Reading His Emails" (Mother Jones)

"Judge Orders Pruitt To Release Emails By Tuesday" (Politico)

"Trump's New EPA Head Is In The Middle Of An Email Controversy" (Newsy)