by Greg Walcher, E&E Legal Senior Policy Fellow
As appearing in The Daily Sentinel
At the risk of repeating myself (this is a recurring theme), there are many examples of major environmental controversies that aren’t really about the environment. Far too often, adversaries face each other across courtrooms arguing not about environmental protection, but about power, control, and money. Especially money.
Another case came to national attention this week because of the nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. It was predictable that the environmental lobby would oppose him, because he has fought the regulatory overreach of that agency, even gone to court several times to stop it. Millions of Americans are also frustrated by this overreach, so it became one of the campaign themes responsible for Donald Trump’s election. That does not mean the EPA’s current defenders will give up, though. They cannot afford to do so.
