Donald Trump Will Name Oklahoma AG Scott Pruitt To Lead EPA

President-elect Donald Trump will name Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head up the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a source familiar with the Trump transition confirmed to CBS News. 

Mr. Trump offered the job to Pruitt Wednesday morning during their face-to-face meeting and the Oklahoma Republican accepted. Pruitt has been on the transition radar for some time and swiftly emerged as the favorite for EPA.

If confirmed by the Senate, Pruitt, known for his strong opposition to President Obama’s environmental regulations, could oversee the rollback of the administration’s climate protection measures.

11/26/2016 Related Story; Oklahoma's Attorney General To Meet With President-Elect Trump 

As Oklahoma’s attorney general, Pruitt has sued the Obama administration over the climate rules for power plants. 

Pruitt has also questioned the idea that humans bear any responsibility for global warming -- a position that goes against widespread scientific consensus.

In one National Review op-ed he co-wrote with Alabama’s attorney general, Pruitt said this of climate change: “Healthy debate is the lifeblood of American democracy, and global warming has inspired one of the major policy debates of our time. That debate is far from settled. Scientists continue to disagree about the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind.”

During his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump pledged to “cancel” U.S. involvement in the Paris climate agreement, a landmark global accord that attempts to halt the effects of climate change.

6/23/2014 Related Story: Oklahoma AG Praises Supreme Court's Limiting EPA Rules

“This agreement gives foreign bureaucrats control over how much energy we use on our land, in our country,” Mr. Trump said at a North Dakota rally. “No way.”

The president-elect has previously said on Twitter that he believed climate change was a “hoax created by and for the Chinese,” though he recently indicated that he was open to rethinking his position. In a November interview with the New York Times, he said: “I have an open mind to it.” 

Earlier this week, the president-elect met with former Vice President Al Gore, a noted climate change activist. 

 “I had a lengthy and very productive session with the president-elect,” he said. “It was a sincere search for areas of common ground.”

Gore also spoke with Ivanka Trump, the president-elect’s daughter, about climate change, transition aide Jason Miller said. 

At least one Democratic senator has already weighed in on Pruitt’s potential leadership of the EPA. 

Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii said Wednesday he could not support Pruitt because he is a “denier of climate science.” 

“The EPA has the enormous responsibility of protecting our environment and keeping Americans safe and healthy. Its administrator should share those goals, but Scott Pruitt’s record has shown us that he does not,” Schatz said in a statement. “The health of our planet and our people is too important to leave in the hands of someone who does not believe in scientific facts or the basic mission of the EPA.”

Pruitt met with Mr. Trump for the second time Wednesday at Trump Tower in New York.

In statements, senators James Lankford and Jim Inhofe showed their support of Pruitt saying:

“I applaud President-elect Trump and his team for choosing Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency,” said Lankford. “Pruitt has served Oklahoma as a tireless defender of justice and law, and I am confident that he will serve America well. I look forward to working with him to restore a balanced approach to regulations and governance that fosters economic growth, advances energy independence and ensures stewardship for the environment. Scott Pruitt knows the difference between a state responsibility and a federal responsibility. The American people deserve an EPA that rejects extreme activism and instead returns to its proper interpretation of environmental law.”

“Scott Pruitt has been a leader and a partner on environmental issues for many years,” said Inhofe. “Pruitt has fought back against unconstitutional and overzealous environmental regulations like Waters of the U.S. and the Clean Power Plan; he has proven that being a good steward of the environment does not mean burdening tax payers and businesses with red tape. In his appearances before the Environment and Public Works committee, Pruitt has demonstrated that he is an expert on environmental laws and a champion of states’ roles in implementing those laws. Scott is thoughtful, experienced and a natural pick for this role. I am pleased with President-elect Trump’s selection and I look forward to working with my fellow Oklahoman in his new capacity.”

The Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association also praised Pruitt in a statement:

“As Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Scott Pruitt has proven that he is a legal expert, which is exactly what our nation needs at the helm of the Environmental Protection Agency. Federal regulations have a role to play in protecting commerce and our environment, but over the past few years, we have seen laws like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act applied far beyond Congress’ original intent. This approach has also undermined the long-standing cooperation between states and the federal government. States are meant to take a leading role in determining environmental standards, and Pruitt has been an ardent defender of this concept. Additionally, many of these regulations, like the Waters of the United States and the Clean Power Plan, have created crippling uncertainty for job creators and are now tied up in the courts for being unconstitutional. We are excited about having an Oklahoman in a prominent role of a Trump administration, and we welcome a more measured regulatory approach at the EPA that will give a voice to all.”