Top EPA Official Talks Policy Post Pruitt

Scott Pruitt is officially out at the Environmental Protection Agency. Former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler has stepped in as acting administrator. What does this mean for U.S. climate policy?

We asked a top EPA official.

In this episode, Mandy Gunasekara, principal deputy assistant administrator at the EPA Office of Air and Radiation, joins us in-studio to discuss the agency's priorities in the wake of the leadership shake-up. 

Gunasekara weighs in on replacing the Clean Power Plan and vehicle fuel economy standards -- two of President Obama's signature policies to combat climate change. We ask how the current EPA squares its deregulatory agenda with the mandate to protect public health and the environment.

We also tackle ongoing controversies, unrelated to Pruitt's personal scandals. Democratic co-host Brandon Hurlbut challenges Gunasekara on the EPA's treatment of climate science, while Republican co-host Shane Skelton raises issues with the Renewable Fuel Standard.

As always, we end on a bipartisan note in our "Say Something Nice" segment.

Recommended Reading:

• GTM: Scott Pruitt Resigns; EPA Deregulation Poised to Continue
• BNA: Senate Aide Named a Top Adviser to EPA Head on Climate, Clean Air
• Inside Climate: In Rebuke to Pruitt, EPA Science Board Votes to Review Climate Policy Changes
• Bloomberg: Trump to Hit Refiners With Biofuels Boost
• Des Moines Register: Iowa political leaders cheer EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's resignation
• Wash Post: Rollback of auto mileage standards advances to White House, bringing conflict with California closer
• NYT: How Trump’s Policy Decisions Undermine the Industries He Pledged to Help
• CNN: Woman confronts Scott Pruitt at a restaurant, urges him to resign

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