Earlier this month, Trump transition team member David Schnare sent a memorandum to EPA
Assistant Administrators and Regional Administrators. The
one-paragraph memo directs AAs and RAs:
to identify and send upward any proposed decisions or final
agency actions for the Administrator's review which, in the
judgement of the Acting RA's and AA's would limit the
flexibility of the States, limit energy resource use, impose
significant costs on industry or commerce, or otherwise likely
result in significant public attention on the proposed decisions or
final agency actions.
Uh-oh.
At a certain level, one can understand Scott Pruitt wanting to
make sure that decisions made on his watch are consistent with his
priorities. On the other hand, as Bloomberg BNA reported (subscription
required), no current or former EPA employee interviewed by
Bloomberg had ever seen anything like this memo in prior
transitions.
