Image source: Sierra Club
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Scott Pruitt, resigned on Thursday, July 5, 2018. Beginning Monday, July 9, 2019, his deputy Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, will take over as head of the EPA. Pruitt’s scandals were many and well-documented – you can read about them in this thorough BuzzFeed News article. Pruitts resignation is the direct result of communities all over the nation standing up for clean water, clean air, and government ethics. Since his appointment there were hundreds of actions, thousands of calls to senators, and millions of emails sent to legislators.
The most recent example of resistance took place when a mother, carrying her young child, confronted Pruitt in a restaurant and a video of the encounter went viral on social media. Since his appointment, though, constituents have contacted their legislators repeatedly, ensuring that his actions were at the center of national dialogue and subject to significant oversight. This is how we hold our public officials accountable. When they do not listen, when their actions fly in the face of our collective values, we continue to speak up, to demand change – until we get change. Andrew Wheeler’s career was spent as a coal lobbyist. He may not make the same ethical transgressions that Pruitt did, but he is likely to continue the environmental policies of this administration. While Pruitt’s resignation is a win, and while it may be tiring, we will continue to stand up.
