Statement of the Natural Resources Council of Maine
“It is good that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned today. From day one, Pruitt was unfit to serve as EPA administrator, and has worked to harm to Maine’s environment by rolling back life-saving protections for our air and water and cozying up to industry lobbyists and climate deniers.
“The crushing weight of Pruitt’s ethics scandals aside, Pruitt’s close ties with polluting industries and his failure to support existing laws like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act proved he was unfit to lead the EPA.
“Mainers strongly disapproved of Pruitt’s rollbacks to protections for our air, water, and climate, and want common-sense protections from dangerous pollution that threatens our air, land, water and wildlife.
“With Scott Pruitt gone, we have a chance at a clean start for the EPA, and we should start with a nominee who believes in the EPA’s mission to protect our health and environment. Unfortunately we now face the prospect of former coal lobbyist, Andrew Wheeler, running the agency. Andrew Wheeler is a former coal industry lobbyist would mean more of the same at EPA. There is no reason to believe Wheeler would right the wrongs of Pruitt’s tenure in the EPA. We need new, honest leadership that puts the health of Mainers and our environment first, and we urge Maine Senators Collins and King to push for that to happen.”
