Another One Bites the Dust at the Environmental Protection Agency
From the Washington Post:
Environmental Protection Agency air chief Bill Wehrum, who helped reverse Obama-era rules aimed at cutting pollutants, is stepping down amid scrutiny over possible violations of federal ethics rules.
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s announcement Wednesday did not cite a specific reason for the departure of Wehrum, who as an attorney represented power companies seeking to scale back several air pollution rules before joining the Trump administration. But Wehrum has privately expressed concern about how an ongoing House Energy and Commerce Committee probe was affecting his former law firm, Hunton Andrews Kurth, according to individuals familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Wehrum, who was confirmed for the post in November 2017, is the latest among Trump appointees to depart after coming under investigation for possible misconduct. Four Cabinet members — EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, and Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin — have all left amid an ethics cloud, along with other senior staffers such as Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator William “Brock” Long.
Here, we appear to have a confluence of two mighty streams: a) rabid, though legal, destruction of the world’s environment in exchange for profit, and b) allegations of criminal behavior. But is that really a surprise? Evil pigs revealed to be criminals? Hardly an eye-popper.
Craig,
Once again, you get it wrong. Bill Wehrun is leaving his post under no pressure or any cloud. Bill Wehrum has simply completed the task he was hired to do and reluctantly stayed longer in the post than he had originally agreed to when appointed.
There is no “probe” or “Ethics Investigation” unless you count baseless political harassment by the Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee for political purposes.
Natural Resources Defense Council’s John Walke testimony; “Bill Wehrum oversaw the most relentless rollback of clean air, climate and health safeguards in EPA’s history,” is merely a political opinion from a political opponent.
Bill Wehrum faithfully and efficiently implemented the administration policy as stated during it’s election campaign. There is nothing covert or corrupt about his actions. If Clinton had won the elction, then her appointee would undoubtedly favour the programs advocated by the Natural Resources Defense Council. John Walke would not be complaining ! Nor should he! A Clinton administration would, quite rightly claim, the appointee was simply implementing the administrations electoral mandate, and he would be correct.
Just because you don’t like the policies of the current administration, doesn’t give you the right to refer to administrative officials carrying out their sworn duty as “Evil Pigs”.
Such terms should have no place in political discourse, especially from someone who takes such offense when milder terms are used against themselves !