Trump Administration Finalizes Latest ‘Midnight’ Giveaway to Corporate Polluters

Washington, D.C. – Today, Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency announced the so-called “Secret Science” rule that will effectively remove science from public health policymaking.

The rule is modeled on a plan originally designed by the tobacco industry to prevent the EPA from protecting public health from the dangers of smoking. This is just the latest of more than two dozen ‘midnight’ giveaways the Trump administration is jamming through during the final days of his presidency to benefit corporate polluters at the expense of public health, the environment, and the climate.

Former coal lobbyist and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the last-minute giveaway at an event with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a climate-denying oil industry front group.

“The Trump administration is rushing through yet another ‘midnight’ giveaway to Big Oil and other polluting industries” said Climate Power 2020 Executive Director Lori Lodes. “Adding insult to injury, the coal industry lobbyist running Trump’s EPA announced this attack on public health in front of a notorious climate-denying, oil industry front group. Trump is rushing to weaken these protections just over two weeks before the Biden-Harris administration and EPA Administrator nominee Michael Regan restore science in decision making, clean up the mess left by the Trump administration and prioritize bold action on climate on Day One.”

Trump has previously announced his intent to ram through rules allowing for leasing land for oil drilling in the Arctic wildlife refuge – the lease sale is slated to take place tomorrow – changing popular energy efficiency standards, and undermining critical air quality standards – actions that will all have devastating repercussions for our communities and public health.