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Sustainability June 19, 2017
Scott Pruitt wants to push back a regulation meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect future generations.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Scott Pruitt, has recently signed a proposal to delay a federal air pollution rule for two years—knowing this decision will negatively impact children.
For those who don’t know, the rule Pruitt is pushing back aims to reduce methane and overall greenhouse gas emissions. Under this rule, companies in the oil and gas industry are required to monitor and plug any leaks from well sites and compressor stations. The regulation applies to about 18,000 oil and gas facilities in 22 states, according to a report from The Guardian.
So why the push back? The EPA claims it received petitions from “interested parties” to reconsider the rule, which was introduced in June 2016 under Barack Obama’s administration. The delay is set to last until 2019. Afterward, a final decision will be made by the EPA.
Environmental groups like the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) are suing EPA over the delay. The EDF claims children would be at heightened risk from cancer-forming pollutants such as benzene if the rule were lifted.
The EPA disagrees, arguing that “any impacts on children’s health caused by the delay in the rule will be limited.” Ah, okay, so as long as the damage is “limited” it’s fine, right?
Oh and get this — the proposed delay was signed the same day Pruitt , who is also a bonafide climate denier, left an environmental summit in Italy early. The seven countries (G7) present issued a summary of the summit, but the US declined to sign the sections on climate change and the Paris agreement.
In the past, Scott Pruitt has stated that “regulations need to be regular” and frequently preaches on the economic cost of environmental rules upon different industries.
Because we all know economic costs are waaaay more important than children’s health.
