Oklahoma releases emails between new EPA head and energy firms

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters

22 FEB 2017 AT 12:46 ET

Emails released by the Oklahoma attorney generals office show a cozy relationship between energy companies and Scott Pruitt, who was the states top prosecutor before being sworn in last week as the new chief U.S. environmental regulator, a media watchdog group said on Wednesday.

The Center for Media and Democracy has sought the release of emails between energy companies and Pruitt for the past two years, saying they show energy companies drafted language that Pruitts attorney general office then used in suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the office he now heads, over regulations on energy operations.

The center had sued Pruitt on Feb. 7, ahead of the Senate vote to confirm his nomination by President Donald Trump, to release the records detailing his communications with energy companies.

The attorney generals office released more than 7,500 pages of emails late on Tuesday, holding back an unknown number of documents it called exempted or privileged. Oklahoma Judge Aletia Timmons is reviewing those documents, but there is no set time for when or if they would be released.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/oklahoma-releases-emails-between-new-epa-head-and-energy-firms/

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Pruitt Emails Detail Close Ties to Energy Giants, EPA Opponents

Emails spanning the tenure of Scott Pruitt's reign as attorney general of Oklahoma, obtained by The New York Times, detail the new head of the Environmental Protection Agencys close ties with electric utilities, major oil and gas producers, and outright foes of the organization. The 6,000 pages of emails were the result of a lawsuit by the Center for Media and Democracy, and an Oklahoma judge ordered them released Wednesday. Since his nomination by President Trump, Democrats and EPA staffers have protested Pruitt's ties to energy companies, as well as his long-documented opposition to the agencys central mission. Matt Ball, an executive at Americans for Prosperitya Koch brothers-funded nonprofitsent Pruitt an email in August 2013 that read, Thank you to your respective bosses and all they are doing to push back against President Obamas EPA and its axis with liberal environmental groups to increase energy costs for Oklahomans and American families across the states. He added, You both work for true champions of freedom and liberty!

READ IT AT THE NEW YORK TIMES

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2017/02/22/pruitt-emails-detail-close-ties-to-energy-giants-epa-opponents.html?viadesktop&sourcecopyurl

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. K & R

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Gee, if only there had been time to go over these before the annointment.

I mean approval of the nomination.

Rogue EPA Staff: @RogueEPAstaff

[dalton99a]

3. Pruitt: "Too late, suckers!"

[riversedge]

5. The Republicans should be ashamed but I know they are not.

[lark]

4. Assholes!

They should have released this prior to the vote. Now we are stuck with him.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Thousands of emails detail EPA heads close ties to fossil fuel industry

Thousands of emails detail EPA head’s close ties to fossil fuel industry

By Brady Dennis and Steven Mufson February 22 at 2:55 PM

In his previous role as Oklahoma’s attorney general, the Environmental Protection Agency’s new administrator regularly huddled with fossil fuel firms and electric utilities about how to combat federal environmental regulations and spoke to conservative political groups about what they call government”overreach,” according to thousands of pages of emails released Wednesday.

“The newly released emails reveal a close and friendly relationship between Scott Pruitt’s office and the fossil fuel industry, with frequent meetings, calls, dinners and other events,” said Nick Surgey, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy, which has sued to compel the release of the emails.

The emails highlight an often-chummy relationship between Pruitt’s office and Devon Energy, a major oil and gas exploration and production company based in Oklahoma City. The correspondence makes clear that top officials at the company met often with Pruitt or people who worked for him. Devon representatives also helped draft — and re-draft — letters for Pruitt to sign and send federal officials in an effort to stave off new regulations.

“Any suggestions?” a deputy solicitor general in Pruitt’s office wrote to a Devon executive in early May 2013, including a draft of a letter the office was planning to send to the EPA regarding proposed regulations of methane emissions. ... “Here you go,” the executive, Bill Whitsitt replied. “Please note that you could use just the red changes, or both red and blue (the latter being some further improvements from one of our experts) or none.” ... “I sent the letter today,” the deputy solicitor general wrote the following day. “Thanks for all your help on this.”
....

Pruitt’s office at EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
....

Chris Mooney and Juliet Eilperin contributed to this report. This post has been updated.

Brady Dennis is a national reporter for The Washington Post, focusing on the environment and public health issues. Follow @brady_dennis

Steven Mufson covers energy and other financial matters. Since joining The Post, he has covered the White House, China, economic policy and diplomacy. Follow @StevenMufson

Rogue EPA Staff: @RogueEPAstaff

Why the #altgovt movement is important. @Alt_DeptofED @ALT_DOJ @alt_fda @ActualEPAFacts @alt_labor @Alt_NASA @AltHHS @AltForestServ

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