CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has raised concerns with federal regulators who he says have purged every member of two influential scientific advisory boards.
In a letter written April 14, Morrisey said that leads to questions about the objectivity of the advice these boards will give going forward.
Morrisey's letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan asks why he had fired all members of the Science Advisory Board and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, even though many of its members had served Democrat and Republican administrations.
Morrisey
Morrisey says the unprecedented and comprehensive nature of the recent purge raises questions about its motives and the future of both boards.
“In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever that SAB and CASAC remain free of political influence,” Morrisey wrote. “Pressure cannot be allowed to steer the Agency away from comprehensive, objective, and scientific assessment of both the problem and the proposed solutions.”
Because of the advisory boards’ objective and technical nature, Morrisey says these boards often are unmoved by the political waves of a new party winning the White House. This customary continuity meant many of the purged SAB members initially were appointed under President Barack Obama and reappointed under President Donald Trump.
In underscoring the importance of SAB’s objectivity, Morrisey' letter notes the board’s role in establishing guidelines for how EPA measures the impact of its rules on regional employment. For instance, Morrisey notes that West Virginia has witnessed firsthand how EPA decisions involving coal mining can increase employment in one region or sector of the economy, while devastating another community and the jobs it relies upon.
Morrisey's letter seeks a credible explanation as to why the EPA administrator took this action. Otherwise, Morrisey says taxpayers might wonder whether objectivity or politics will inform the agency’s decisions in the years to come.
The letter also reiterates his willingness to file suits against any EPA actions that are unsupported by objective and reasoned decision making.
"As always, my office stands ready to file suits against any agency actions that are unsupported by objective and reasoned decision-making," Morrisey wrote. "Nonetheless, I hope you can provide an explanation for these recent actions that dispels any doubt that these committees will remain committed to practicing objective analysis, rather than simply printing loyal partisan propaganda."