Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt put “the brakes” on state pursuit of a water-pollution suit against poultry processors, said the New York Times in describing how Pruitt “will have the opportunity to engineer a radical shift” in federal policy if he is confirmed as EPA administrator. He “is expected to shelve the Obama administration’s aggressive environmental enforcement and embrace a more collaborative approach with the industries that the agency is charged with policing, many of which have helped him advance his political career.”
In the case involving runoff in the Illinois River in northeastern Oklahoma, Pruitt “quietly negotiated a deal to simply study the problem further” rather than seeking monetary damages, said the Times. “The move came after he had taken tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from executives and lawyers for the poultry industry.”
Pruitt “put cooperation with the industry before confrontation,” said the newspaper, noting Pruitt sued the EPA 14 times “to blunt the impact of federal environmental policies in his state.” While critics say Pruitt has the wrong philosophy to head EPA, supporters, including anti-tax and small-government groups, say Pruitt rightly believes state governments know best about regulation within their borders. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has scheduled a confirmation hearing on Pruitt for Wednesday.