US Senators Oppose Environment Agency Rule Letting Appointees Block Information Requests

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2019) A bipartisan group of senior US Senators is urging Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler to reconsider a new rule that would allow Wheeler and other political appointees block the release of material requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Senator Chuck Grassley announced.

"Experience under the Obama administration and prior administrations shows that the involvement of political appointees making determinations can add unnecessary delays to the review process, potentially violating FOIA's statutory deadlines, the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Wheeler that was released on Monday.

The letter urged Wheeler to reconsider implementation of the new rule, which was issued without public comment, to provide sufficient opportunity for the public to weigh in on the "FOIA Regulations Update" final rule.

The letter was signed by Republicans Grassley and Senator John Cornyn, as well as Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein and Patrick Leahy, all longtime members of the Senate who have served in multiple leadership positions.

The EPA has been accused by environmentalists of watering down Obama administration EPA regulations that the Trump administration cites as obstacles to economic growth.