Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), chair of the Committee on Environment & Public Works, is asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to launch an investigation into EPA's campaign to promote support for its rule, examining whether the agency might have violated federal lobbying laws.
The request for an investigation follows a front-page New York Times articledrawing attention to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) practices since the release of its proposed rule redefining “waters of the U.S.”
The EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have received more than one million comments on the proposed rule, and they claim nearly 90 percent favored the agency’s proposal. At a hearing exploring legislation designed to halt the rule and start over with a better one, Inhofe cited the Times article, openly wondering whether the EPA crafted a plan to characterize any criticism of the rule as “misinformation” and build support for the rule with the help of key environmental organizations and a grassroots organization affiliated with President Obama. “I've asked GAO to look into the matter,” Inhofe declared.
On its Blog, the EPA fired back, explaining the agency uses social media “to correct the record and clarify misinformation” without explaining where agency officials draw the line between legitimate industry disagreement and “misinformation.” AGC will be monitoring this situation as it develops.
For more information, please contact Scott Berry at berrys@agc.org or (703) 837-5321. Return to Top