Reposted from Government Accountability & Oversight
WEBEDITOR-FOIA,
The Biden Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has released selected, often heavily edited, conflict and denial records for Assistant Assistant Administrator of the Main Board and Assistant Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation (ie, “Climate”), Joe Goffman.
The denial statement is noteworthy for what it does and doesn’t. As for the editorial offices, they seem clumsy given the EPO practice to date. The total refusal to approve draft rejection proposals appears to be an undue reluctance to “go back and forth” that is known to be subject to approval.
Readers may recall the Energy Policy Advocate in State of New York et al., V EPA’s amicus briefing, which disclosed Goffman’s role in advising progressive attorneys general on certain regulatory matters currently before the USEPA and under Goffman’s current mandate. For example, the scheme of using the “NAAQS” regime to sneak in on what the Wall Street Journal called “Biden’s“ back door ”climate plan.
There is no mention of such work or withdrawal in the USEPA’s publication … including the denial statement (it appears that knowing the contents of the drafts will require litigation). As such, these records sharpen the question – increasingly appropriate to Biden’s “all-star” climate team – what Goffman disclosed to his ethics officer about his previous work and when he disclosed it.
The publication is timely, however incomplete it may be. Appointed persons can remain in a “temporary” role for a limited number of days. There is Scuttlebutt that the Biden White House intends to play off the law and calendar to keep Goffman in place for as long as possible as “Acting” AA in order to delay or even avoid him from scrutinizing / holding the verification process accountable .
The “back door climate plan” and past consultations with USEPA-hostile corporations in litigation related to matters in Goffman’s portfolio could be two reasons.
In an interview with Politico last week – he’s been moving these days (and ducking the same question as well as at least one question about the NAAQS system) – Goffman dodged a question of whether he wanted a change in his status as just one of the. awaits two verifiable USEPA agents on whom the white man has yet to submit paperwork.
Would you like to be nominated as Deputy Administrator for Air and Radiation?
I haven’t thought about that in a long time. I am very satisfied with what I do every day now.
The resignation letter and what it contains – and what it does not contain – seems likely to be a problem should the Biden administration attempt to formalize Mr. Goffman’s role and make him accountable. Given the increasing reluctance to facilitate the monitoring and investigation of these activities by Congress, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is likely to plan to schedule a hearing on its own.
Like this:
Loading…
Comments are closed.