Trump’s embattled EPA chief Scott Pruitt resigns amid scandals

Washington: US Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, one of the most scandal-plagued Cabinet officials in American history, is leaving the agency, President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday.

EPA director Scott Pruitt pictured in Rome in June 2017.

"I have accepted the resignation of Scott Pruitt as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency," Trump said in a tweet. "Within the agency Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this.”

Read the story from The Age by Evan Halper - “Trump’s embattled EPA chief Scott Pruitt resigns amid scandals.”

EPA keeps US scientists from presenting climate report, agency accused of censorship

The US Environmental Protection Agency has kept three scientists from speaking at an event, in a move condemned by researchers and Democratic members of Congress as an attempt by the agency to silence a discussion of climate change.

EPA administrator Scott Pruitt has rejected
 the scientific consensus on climate change.

The scientists were scheduled to discuss a report on the health of Narragansett Bay, New England's largest estuary, on Monday (local time).

Among the findings in the 500-page report is that climate change is affecting air and water temperatures, precipitation, sea level and fish.

The EPA did not explain why the scientists were told not to speak, but said in a statement that the agency supports the program that published the document with a $US600,000 annual grant. The EPA is the sole funder of the program.

Read the ABC News story - “EPA keeps US scientists from presenting climate report, agency accused of censorship.”