by Michael Bastasch
The Daily Caller

Two environmental groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its new policy of not allowing scientists benefiting from agency funding to also serve on advisory boards.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced the new policy in October to “ensure independence” and “geographical representation” on scientific advisory boards.

“Whatever science comes out of EPA, shouldn’t be political science,” Pruitt said in October. “From this day forward, EPA advisory committee members will be financially independent from the agency.”…

The Energy & Environment Legal Institute sued EPA in 2016 to prevent its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) from meeting after finding that 24 of its 26 members had received more than $190 million from EPA.

Seventeen of the 20 scientific advisers sitting on EPA’s ozone panel also benefited from $192 million in EPA grants, according to E&E Legal.

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