Remove Scott Pruitt as Director of the EPA

On February 17, 2017 the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Scott Pruitt as the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The vote, mostly along party lines (50 Republican Senators along with 2 Democrats - How Senators Voted on Scott Pruitt for E.P.A. Administrator http://nyti.ms/2nSkcWG) handed over control of our environment to the Trump administration and the fossil fuel industry.

As Director of the EPA, Mr. Pruitt is trusted to lead the agency in the direction, intent and spirit under which it was formed back in 1970 by then President Richard Nixon (R). The agency’s mission is to protect human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.

Since taking control of this Federal agency, Mr. Pruitt has been hard at work rolling back years of regulations meant to protect our environment and hold polluters accountable. Under the pretext of stimulating the economy, he’s been running an agenda of strong deregulation supported by the Oil, Gas and Coal industries, many of whom have funded his political career.

Scott Pruitt’s Background
As attorney general for the state of Oklahoma, he sued the EPA at least 14 times (in at least 13 of these cases, regulated industries were parties and financial contributors to Mr. Pruitt’s political causes - http://bit.ly/2C7F6uu )
Took in more than $215,574 in campaign donations from the fossil fuel industry
Came out as a self-described “leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda”

EPA’s record under Scott Pruitt
Removed all mentions of climate change and global warming from the EPA’s website
Advised president Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement
Allowed largest increase in toxic air pollution in EPA's history
Has lowest amount of fines imposed against polluters
Has the second largest attrition of employees (700+) after the Reagan's administration

We feel strongly that Director Pruitt is not carrying out the obligations of the agency that he directs to the extent and in the spirit in which it was incorporated and that his past background and political affiliations present a clear conflict of interest precluding him from objectively and unbiasedly fulfilling his public duty.

Our children and future generations have unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and this requires that they have a healthy and stable planet where to grow up and prosper.

As such, we call for the immediate removal of Scott Pruitt as Director for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Sincerely,
U.S. citizens