Texas farmers and ranchers celebrate Pruitt to EPA

(WACO, Texas)–The nomination of Scott Pruitt as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging news for Texas farmers and ranchers threatened by the agency's regulatory overreach, according to the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB), the state's largest general farm organization.

President-elect Donald Trump selected Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general, to head the federal agency.

"We anticipate Scott Pruitt, as administrator, understands that common-sense policies are needed by EPA, not burdensome regulations that threaten the livelihood of those who work every day with natural resources,” said TFB President Russell Boening of Poth. “We’re confident Scott Pruitt will steer EPA to end the aggressive and punitive approach to regulating that has unfortunately become the agency’s trademark in recent years.”

Boening said Pruitt has indicated he intends to run EPA in a way that fosters both responsible protection of the environment and freedom for American businesses. Boening said he hopes Pruitt can rein in an agency that is operating, in some cases, outside of its constitutional and statutory authority.

As Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt has been active in legally challenging EPA’s controversial Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.

“Farmers and ranchers want a different philosophy at EPA. Mr. Pruitt is an individual who represents the real change at an agency that has been adversarial against family farmers and ranchers for too long,” Boening said.