Things aren’t looking great for the Environmental Protection Agency. It’s no secret that Donald Trump does not believe in climate change. Scott Pruitt (Trump’s pick to head the EPA) doesn’t believe that humans are causing climate change either. Pruitt also has connections to the oil industry. People are not happy about Pruitt’s nomination and fear that his confirmation would put the environment at risk.
On February 7, some members of the House of Representatives held a hearing called “Making EPA Great Again.” During this meeting, they accused the EPA of having biased regulations based on politics. The committee that held the meeting is calling for the EPA’s rule-making process to be reformed. Scientific organizations are worried that this meeting is an attempt to take power away from the EPA and make it much harder for the agency to create rules and regulations.
It is already apparent that the EPA’s budget has been cut back. Trump’s Administration ordered the EPA to cut the number of people attending an Alaskan environmental forum in half. The agency was also told to minimize its involvement at the conference. People involved with the conference are concerned about what this cut could mean for the future of the EPA and its involvement in Alaska.
It’s still early, so it’s hard to say exactly what will happen to the EPA. However, Trump’s decision to make restricting the EPA a priority within weeks of taking office is very telling. Many people are concerned about the EPA’s status for good reason.
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