Trump's choice to head EPA drawing many records requests, attack ads from environmental group

Scott Pruitt (Associated Press photo)

Scott Pruitt, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency, could be one of his most controversial and most scrutinized picks, Mike Soraghan reports for Energywire. Pruitt, who has been attorney general of Oklahoma since 2010, has made a habit of attacking the agency he is slated to run. That may be why his office is drawing a bevy of open records requests. As of last Wednesday, there had been 52 requests.

The Sierra Club last week unveiled a "five figure" ad campaign aimed at denying Pruitt the position, Jennifer Yachnin reports for Greenwire. The digital ads, which include the message "'say no to #PollutingPruitt for EPA," will be aimed at Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander (R), Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R), Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly (D), Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake (R), South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R), North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D), Nevada Sen. Dean Heller (R), West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D), Ohio Sen. Rob Portman (R) and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey (R).

Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce said, "Scott Pruitt's record isn't pretty. He is a climate-science denier who, as attorney general for the state of Oklahoma, repeatedly partnered with the state's largest polluters to block health and environmental safeguards."