The rebellion at the EPA is far from overNY Post, Feb 17, 2017, Editorial Board
Despite an unprecedented revolt by the agency’s employees, Scott Pruitt was confirmed Friday to head the Environmental Protection Agency. But that’ll hardly be the end of the rebellion.
As The New York Times reported, EPA staffers actively lobbied senators to oppose Pruitt — the kind of political activity normally off-limits for career civil servants.
Their motive: Like Trump, Pruitt is highly skeptical of the “end all fossil-fuel use” prescription for combatting climate change, and a big doubter that renewable-energy sources can meet the nation’s needs. More, he’s a fierce opponent of over-regulation.
Like Trump’s other nominees, in other words, he understands the real-world consequences of EPA action, preferring a more balanced approach.
But the EPA is an aggressively activist agency. So its “civil servants” have no qualms about getting overtly political, and longstanding tradition be damned.
Then, too, Trump has vowed to reduce the EPA’s size — which puts comfy EPA jobs at risk. As one union leader said of the agency protests he helped lead: “It’s in our interests to do this.”
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http://nypost.com/2017/02/17/the-rebellion-at-the-epa-is-far-from-over/