The E.P.A.'s New Chief Reverses a Dirty-Truck Loophole Left by Scott Pruitt.

[elleng]

Source: nyt

Andrew R. Wheeler, the acting administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has reversed the final policy act of his predecessor, Scott Pruitt: granting a loophole that would have allowed more highly polluting trucks on the nation’s roads.

Mr. Wheeler’s decision, outlined in a memo to his top air policy staff, formally vacates the move Mr. Pruitt made on his last day in office, earlier this month, before resigning amid a host of ethics investigations. Mr. Pruitt had told manufacturers that the agency would not enforce a cap on what are known as “glider” trucks — vehicles with older and less efficient engines installed.

“I have concluded that the application of current regulations to the glider industry does not represent the kind of extremely unusual circumstances that support the E.P.A.’s exercise of enforcement discretion,” Mr. Wheeler wrote.

Mr. Wheeler has worked during his first three weeks as the E.P.A.’s acting chief to put distance between himself and Mr. Pruitt stylistically by addressing his staff, issuing a public schedule of his activities and taking questions from journalists. The about-face on gliders represents the first sign that Mr. Wheeler may seek to distinguish himself from Mr. Pruitt on policy as well.



Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/27/climate/wheeler-pruitt-glider-truck-reversal.html?

[truthisfreedom]

1. Someone sensible who isn't just taking action by hating on Obama?

Wonder of wonders. An adult?

[elleng]

2. Imagine THAT!

[Scurrilous]

3. Holy @#$%.

Didn't see this coming.

[NCjack]

4. Awkward. If Scott Pruitt accepted a bribe, the only honorable action

would be for him to return it all.

[progree]

5. Before we gurgle in ecstasy...

New EPA chief's first moves show he's following Pruitt's agenda, without the sirens, Yahoo News, 7/26/18
https://www.yahoo.com/news/new-epa-chiefs-first-moves-show-hes-following-pruitts-agenda-without-sirens-133644692.html

...The former coal lobbyist’s first major act as EPA acting chief was to overhaul the rule for how toxic waste from the burning of coal should be disposed of at power plants around the country. ...

... Sources have told Bloomberg and others that Wheeler’s EPA is preparing to roll back Obama-era emission targets for cars, which were among Obama’s major regulatory efforts to control greenhouse gases. Under Wheeler, the EPA reportedly plans to revoke California’s authority to regulate its own car emissions, which it has done since the 1950s.

Edited to add:

What the reference to sirens in the title is about:

Rosenberg said Wheeler has been a little more open to the press than Pruitt and less obsessed with secrecy, security and ostentatious displays of prerogatives — such as having his driver use his siren to cut through traffic on his way to a restaurant. Wheeler promised greater transparency, but neither Rosenberg nor Pierce was too impressed by these slight changes.

[RussBLib]

6. well, of course!

he's good. he sucks. he's better. he's the same.

par

[progree]

7. Hmm, in the car emissions thing, he comes across as having a brain in this latest LBN story

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142120762

Top Trump Officials Clash Over Plan to Let Cars Pollute More, 7/27/18

WASHINGTON — Senior administration officials are clashing over President Trump’s plan to roll back a major environmental rule and let cars emit more tailpipe pollution, according to 11 people familiar with the confrontation, in a dispute over whether the proposal can withstand legal challenge.

The rollback, one of the most consequential proposals of the Trump administration, not only would permit more planet-warming pollution from cars, it would also challenge the right of California and other states to set their own, more restrictive state-level pollution standards.

On one side is the Environmental Protection Agency’s acting chief, Andrew Wheeler, who has tried to put the brakes on the plan, fearing that its legal and technical arguments are weak and will set up the Trump administration for an embarrassing courtroom loss. Mr. Wheeler inherited the proposal from his predecessor, Scott Pruitt, who resigned on July 5 under a cloud of ethics investigations.

On the other side are top officials at the Transportation Department, Jeffrey A. Rosen and Heidi King, two of the proposal’s chief authors. ...

Still evil, but not totally stupid.

[elleng]

8. 'legal and technical arguments are weak

and will set up the Trump administration for an embarrassing courtroom loss.'

Strategically smart