EPA chief: Obama was no environmental savior

[jpak]

Source: The Hill

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tore into former President Barack Obama’s environmental record Thursday, saying he failed in important areas.

Speaking on conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt’s show, Scott Pruitt accused the Obama administration of “poor leadership” and “poor focus,” resulting in bad air quality, more contaminated sites under the Superfund cleanup program, and water pollution crises.

“The past administration is viewed as the environmental savior. But when you look at air attainment in this country, we’re at 40 percent non-attainment right now on ozone. About 140 million people live in non-attainment areas for air quality, under air quality programs,” he said, referring to a measure of areas in the country that have reached federal standards for ozone pollution concentrations.

“Superfund sites, we have more today than when President Obama came into office. Water infrastructure, you had Flint and you had Gold King. And … the regulations that they issued on carbon, they failed twice. They struck out twice,” Pruitt continued.
“So when you look at their record, what exactly did they accomplish for the environment that folks are so excited about?”

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Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/332958-epa-chief-obama-wasnt-an-environmental-savior

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. "Pot calling kettle black." Pruitt in the swamp crying 'crocodile tears' instead of draining it.

Who knew that tRump would break his promise to "drain the swamp" because the swamp was protected wetland.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Evil messaging. Obama did not cause Flint. More superfund sites because more reported. . . nt

[haele]

3. Maybe because Congress sat on its collective asses and threw up roadblocks at every attempt?

Maybe because there was little to no increase of funding for regulatory and remediation efforts?
Well, maybe, "Secretary Pruitt", because a-holes like you litigated every single attempt to hold businesses accountable for the pollution they caused due to some financial interest your state held with those businesses?

Haele

[barbtries]

9. that's the answer.

thank you.

i hate republicans. they are not proper humans.

[Corgigal]

4. Doesn't he have a Arby's commercial to make?

The ones with the half nude girls eating disgusting looking giant burgers. So hygienic...

[jmowreader]

15. That's Hardee's/Carl's Jr and they've stopped that

The story line is "Carl Hardee Sr." came back and made the company grow up. The old bastard raised the prices too.

[still_one]

5. I hope these assholes come down with something very bad, and very painful

[byronius]

6. Actually, I think that exact thing is happening right now in Annapolis.

[still_one]

7. Just to be clear, I am directing this at those who want to destroy the environment,

take away people's health insurance, and hurt the most vulnerable and defenseless in our society

[JudyM]

8. More Superfund sites under Obama means either that EPA beefed up its enforcement by adding more

sites to the list (which is positive for him) or that cleanups weren't achieved at the same rate as new sites were listed. Which could again mean strong enforcement bringing on more sites, or more technically complicated, lengthy cleanups during his tenure (not his fault), or that the companies who were supposed to be helping fund the cleanups didn't have cash flow (likely bottlenecking during his 1st term), or that EPA didn't have the resources to process all the sites (anybody know if EPA was underfunded?).

Point is, saying there were more SFund sites under Obama doesn't translate to being his fault.

[wolfie001]

10. Egads! I'm shocked!

A lying sack of shit Repube!

[Doreen]

11. Stupid asshole, why don't you fucking look at what he had to

deal with to get ANYTHING done. Can your brain not remember that the Repukes decided to fight him on everything no matter how small and or big? Yes, there were a lot of things he could not get done but he was kept from doing them.

What an asshole.

[maxsolomon]

12. Sophistry

he's good at the Gish Gallop.

[lordsummerisle]

14. Very Owellian comments n/t

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Superfund sites, we have more today"

because the Obama administration uncovered all the toxic environmental conditions being hidden by regulation-less Shrub administration.

[logosoco]

17. Pruitt is an idiot!

But I do have to give him credit for spin! Anyone (like your average Fox viewer) hearing there are more superfund sites would think that that means things go worse under Obama. But, it actually means more places that needed to be under control or have extra work done are getting it done.
(I live next to Times Beach so I know a bit about superfund sites!)

And the whole Flint thing was LOCAL. Putting that on the Federal doorstep does not fly. It would be nice and helpful for them to get federal help, but I am not sure if that has happened or not? But at any rate, it was not the Obama EPA.

And what about this administration wanting to get rid of the methane regulations that the Obama administration put in place that the Senate saved yesterday? And didn't Obama get the auto industry on track for better mpg that this admin. wants to trash that regulation?

You can spin all you want Pruitt, but the earth spins much better than you!