Pruitt’s Scorched-Earth Approach to Our Forests

Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency's administrator, said today that when forest materials are burned to produce electricity the EPA would deem that to be carbon neutral.

The following is a statement by Sami Yassa, senior scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“Scott Pruitt’s scorched-earth approach at the EPA continues unabated. By short-circuiting a genuine scientific review of the use of forests for fuel, Pruitt is once again rewarding his industry pals.

“This will lead to more destruction of our treasured forests and more dangerous carbon pollution.”

For background on this issue, see this recent blog.

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.​

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