Scott Pruitt Goes After Critics, His Own Staff In First Speech To EPA
Source: Huffington Post
Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt mentioned a toxic environment just once during his first address Tuesday to the embattled agency staff.
But he wasnt talking about industry pollution or conserving nature. He was referring to his critics political rhetoric.
Forgive the reference, but its a very toxic environment, the controversial new administrator said in the speech, which lasted under 20 minutes.
Civility is something I believe in very much, he added. We ought to be able to get together and wrestle through some issues in a civil manner.
Then, at last, he began to outline his vision for the EPA. He described an agency that prioritized making it easier for polluters to comply with regulations. He promised to listen intently to companies before saddling them with new regulations. He admonished his new employees, some fearing layoffs amid looming budget cuts, for acting outside the agencys legal mandate and running roughshod over states rights.
Regulations ought to make things regular, Pruitt said. Regulations exist to give certainty to those they regulate. Those we regulate ought to know whats expected of them so they can place and allocate resources to comply.
He did not mention climate change or environmental destruction.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pruitt-epa-speech_us_58ac7e76e4b0c4d51057164f?ohe9p144319bpgb9&
One way or another Climate Change and the environment will resolve the human problem.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Where have I heard that before?
From KKK types.
flygal
(3,231 posts)guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Like elections, not voting also has consequences.
dem4decades
(11,241 posts)Changing the Constitution, I believe.
dalton99a
(81,065 posts)csziggy
(34,120 posts)The EPA was not created to give certainty to polluters - it was created to ensure that Americans have clean air, clean water and protection against being poisoned by those polluters.
Dolt45 sure went out of his way to find people whose personal agendas are directly in opposition to the agencies he put them in charge of.
handmade34
(22,755 posts)what part of 'Environmental Protection' does he not understand??
The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment.
EPA's purpose is to ensure that:
all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work;
national efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information;
federal laws protecting human health and the environment are enforced fairly and effectively;
environmental protection is an integral consideration in U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy;
all parts of society -- communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments -- have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks;
environmental protection contributes to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable and economically productive; and
the United States plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment.
EPA Strategic Plan
Additional Information
Cross-Agency Strategies Annual Action Plans
Prior Year Strategic Plans
Prior Year Action Plans
FY 2014-2018 Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan charts the course for advancing EPA's priorities and mission to protect human health and the environment.
The Plan identifies the measurable environmental and human health outcomes the public can expect over the next four years and describes how we intend to achieve those results. The Plan represents a commitment to our core values of science, transparency, and the rule of law in managing our programs.
The Plan identifies five strategic goals to guide the Agencys work:
Goal 1: Addressing Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
Goal 2: Protecting Americas Waters
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
Goal 5: Protecting Human Health and the Environment by Enforcing Laws and Assuring Compliance
The Plan also sets forth the following four cross-agency strategies which set clear expectations for changing the way EPA does business in achieving its results.
Working Toward a Sustainable Future
Working to Make a Visible Difference in Communities
Launching a New Era of State, Tribal, Local, and International Partnerships
Embracing EPA as a High-Performing Organization
The Plan also includes EPAs Agency Priority Goals (APGs), a component of the Administrations performance management framework which supports improvement in near-term outcomes related to our Strategic Plan. More information on the Agencys APGs is available at Performance.gov.
benld74
(9,888 posts)Speaking with him he stated he had been tinkering with the idea of retirement.
When THIS individual was selected to lead the EPA
Said tinkering became a full scale march to freedom for him.
Friend or Foe
(195 posts)That's hogwash. Balderdash. Bovine Excrement.
What do State's rights have to do with pollution? Can one state ensure that it's polluted air and/or water respects borders and doesn't migrate into another state?
muriel_volestrangler
(101,152 posts)With everything that Republicans want to do repeal Obamacare, overhaul the tax code it might seem odd that one of Congress very first acts would be to kill an obscure Obama-era regulation that restricts coal companies from dumping mining waste into streams and waterways.
But that is indeed whats going on. In early February, the House and Senate voted to repeal the so-called stream protection rule using a regulation-killing tool known as the Congressional Review Act. On Thursday, President Trump signed the bill, which means the stream protection rule is now dead. Coal companies will have a freer hand in dumping mining debris in streams.
...
The National Mining Association, an industry trade group, says the stream-protection rule would put more than half the nations untapped coal reserves off-limits to future mining further crippling a wounded industry. The group would prefer environmental protections handled at the state level (where, in states like West Virginia and Kentucky, regulators have a much lighter touch). Its a pure expression of all that ordinary Americans loathe about rule by bureaucracy, writes NMAs Luke Popovich.
http://www.vox.com/2017/2/2/14488448/stream-protection-rule
It's a lot cheaper to buy a state legislature than the federal one.
alarimer
(16,245 posts)You and your fellow asshole conservatives who think the planet is yours to despoil. Well, guess what? Climate change will kill you and your grandchildren just as much as it will kill ours.
mahatmakanejeeves
(56,893 posts)Administrator Pruitt spoke to EPA staff today. What's IN: Federalism, process and law. OUT: focus on clean air, clean water, public health
Link to tweet
Distressing to say the least. What to expect from Pruitts EPA http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/02/what-to-expect-from-pruitts-epa/ via @harvard
Link to tweet
What to expect from Pruitts EPA
TeamPooka
(24,155 posts)ismnotwasm
(41,919 posts)He sounds like he's talking about prune juice and not the health of our planet
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)He described an agency that prioritized making it easier for polluters to comply with regulations. He promised to listen intently to companies before saddling them with new regulations.
Translation: We're going to allow corporations/industry to do whatever they want. Dump here, dump there, dump anywhere and everywhere.
LuckyLib
(6,814 posts)world, what the hell do those have to do with the Environmental Protection Agency?
This makes me sick.
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)mahatmakanejeeves
(56,893 posts)Proud Liberal Dem
(24,355 posts)The ones that the Republicans in the Senate couldn't wait for before confirming him?