The US Environmental Protection Agency is No Longer Protecting the Environment

Only one year into Trump’s presidency and he has gotten into every part of the government. No stone left unturned, nearly every department has been altered by his new tax cut. Placing unfit members of his party at the heads of departments where they can do the most damage. Turing the judiciary on it upside-down and ignoring the lasting damage that is being created. Trump’s new direction of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) involved placing Scott Pruitt at the helm. Pruitt has made it big by seeking legal action on the behalf of big fossil-fuel interest and in the one year he has been appointed, Pruitt has completely turned the EPA on its head. Dismantling extremely vital regulations on our air and water, picking industry over public health, and kicking out scientists to replace them with his lobbyists' buddies.

Since heading EPA Pruitt has accumulated $58,000 in taxpayer-paid traveling expenses with flights to and fro with weak explanations as to why. Each flight either in first-class or business-class, for unspecified “security reasons.” Pruitt had also spent $40,000 of taxpayer money to fly to Morocco with the purpose of promoting fossil fuels. Federal regulations call for government travelers to “consider the least expensive class of travel that meets there needs.” Donald Trump has made it very clear to the public which direction he wants to take the EPA in, and that direction is straight into the ground. Pruitt is not letting up either, he has been staffing the EPA with industry insiders who’ve made it big by lobbying for slack on pollution regulations. Giving headway to someone like Andrew Wheeler to be nominated as EPA Deputy Administrator. A man who lobbies for Murray Energy, a coal-mining company that wants to abolish the rule that puts a limit on mercury pollution. Pruitt also employed Nancy Beck, a lobbyist for the chemical industry trade association, to implement the rules concerning the Lautenberg Act. The Lautenberg Act is a chemical safety law that should be preventing dangerous and untested chemicals from reaching the public. These new rules Beck has constructed will allow chemical industry to use more harmful ingredients in their products and buyers will lose confidence in products for household use.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, there is much more damage being caused under the surface if the water. The condition of our environment is extremely vital, yet it is one of the more understated parts of our lives. Trump and Pruitt are taking advantage of this, they are using our neglect to change the purpose of the EPA to befit industry instead of befitting public health and safety. This is something we should not stand for, nor should we allow it to continue.