Freedom of Information Act request on WOTUS

The Center for Biologic Diversity recently made a Freedom of Information Act request seeking communications between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) on the topic of the 2015 Waters of the U.S. rule (WOTUS, also called the Clean Water Rule). The request specifically focuses on Scott Pruitt. “The filing seeks information about EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s participation in a promotional video for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in which he urges ranchers to flood the agency with comments in favor of repealing the Clean Water Rule,” explains the group’s announcement of the request. The group claims that beef operations have polluted 35,000 miles of the nation’s rivers and contaminated groundwater in 17 states. Jennifer Molidor, a senior campaigner with the group, was quoted as saying, “Americans deserve to know why Pruitt would support the private interests of this incredibly polluting industry.”