For Immediate Release: Friday, February 17, 2017

Contact: Diane May, (317) 292-2922, [email protected]

Nina Smith, 301-717-9006, [email protected]

Green For All: Pruitt’s Confirmation Ushers in Dark Era for America’s Health

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Today, Green For All Director Vien Truong released the following statement in response to news that the Senate confirmed Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency:

“Scott Pruitt’s confirmation by the U.S. Senate is a huge setback for low income communities and communities of color, who have a right to clean water and air that doesn’t make our kids sick. Pruitt’s confirmation is a tragic outcome for all Americans, but especially for frontline communities who have been subjected to the the nation’s most hazardous industrial pollution. His confirmation begins a dark new era for America's health that could take us back to the days of burning rivers.

“Pruitt’s history of opposing environmental protections in favor of profits for big corporate  polluters is deeply concerning -- and something we should all watch closely in the days and months to come. The task of building a green economy that works for all Americans is life or death for people facing the devastating health outcomes of exposure to pollution. With Pruitt leading the EPA this task will be a longer, harder journey -- but we will not stop fighting.”

###

Green For All is a climate and economic justice organization working at the intersection of poverty and pollution to create an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. Green For All is an initiative of The Dream Corps, a social justice accelerator for transformative campaigns, ideas and innovations.