"EPA: Boards Add Industry And State Officials, Drop Scientists"

"U.S. EPA officially unveiled new membership rosters today for several key science advisory panels that give more weight to representatives of industry and state governments at the expense of university researchers.

The rosters for the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and the Science Advisory Board posted online this morning appear to reflect the impact of restrictions put in place this week by agency chief Scott Pruitt. The new policy bars current recipients of EPA grants from serving on any agency advisory committees and effectively ends a tradition of appointing members to two consecutive three-year terms. The newly released lineups largely dovetail with an advance copy obtained earlier this week by E&E News.

"To ensure that EPA is receiving the best independent scientific advice, I am appointing highly-qualified experts and scientists to these important committees," Pruitt said in a press release."

Sean Reilly and Kevin Bogardus report for Greenwire November 3, 2017.

SEE ALSO:

"Scientists Alarmed By Pruitt's Changes To EPA Advisory Boards" (NPR)