News Release
July 6, 2018
Contact: Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club, 602-253-8633, 602-999-5790 (mobile), sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org
Laura Dent, Chispa AZ, 520-343-4900, ldent@lcv.org
Columba Sainz, Moms Clean Air Force, 520-664-8324, csainz@momscleanairforce.org
Nicholas Petrusek, Defend Our Future, 619-994-4377, nick@defendourfuture.org
Pruitt Booted – Still more to do for Our Air, for Our Health, and for Our Communities
Arizonans oppose the unethical anti-environmental Trump agenda, and tell Senator Flake the next administrator must protect our health and environment and restore trust in the agency
Phoenix, AZ – Today, in the wake of the resignation of scandal-plagued Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Scott Pruitt, public health and environmental advocates called on Senator Jeff Flake to oppose weakening health and environmental protections and to oppose any EPA administrator who does not support the mission of the EPA.
“While Pruitt was a bad choice from the beginning and should have been gone long ago, working families can now can sleep easier knowing he is gone,” said Laura Dent, executive director for Chispa Arizona. “Pruitt's focus on unraveling protections put in place to defend people and the environment has never reflected our values as a nation.”
“As mothers we take care of our planet as a way to protect our children’s health and future,” said Columba Sainz with Moms Clean Air Force. “Pruitt’s actions endanger our environment, but with his overdue resignation comes hope to fill this vacancy with someone who would put our families’ health first and not special interests. We demand that the Trump administration look out for the interests of working families and not special interest groups.”
"We need an EPA administrator who will act to protect public health and the environment and put a stop to the scandals and the outrageous roll back of anti-pollution measures, 
slashed enforcement, and obstruction of climate science,” said Sandy Bahr, chapter director for Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter. “The acting director, Andrew Wheeler, is a coal lobbyist dogged by ethical questions and is not the person to bring back integrity and a focus on our health at the EPA.”
“Senator Flake voted against environmental protections and his constituents’ health when he unwisely voted for Scott Pruitt. He should not make the same mistake again with the next administrator,” said Meagan Fitzgerald, public lands organizer at Arizona Wildlife Federation. “Senator Flake owes it to Arizona residents to oppose weakening environmental protections and to oppose any EPA administrator who does not defend the mission of the agency to protect our health and environment.”
"During his time at EPA, Scott Pruitt put our health in danger time and again by dismantling critical health protections and pushing his toxic agenda with the support of big polluters,” said Nicholas Petrusek, state director for Defend Our Future. “Andrew Wheeler, the now acting EPA administrator, means more of the same. We must not allow that.”
