On Oct. 10, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt made a disastrous decision to move forward with plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan, America’s first and only federal limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants. Not only that, he is also stacking the deck to justify dismantling these lifesaving health and carbon pollution protections.

Those decisions come as no great surprise, as Pruitt himself has sued the EPA 14 times to try to stop common-sense pollution protections and is under investigation by the EPA Inspector General for alleged misuse of taxpayer funds.

Science tells us climate change is one of the major challenges of this time and action must be taken now. The increasingly deadly and destructive hurricanes and wildfires that are occurring help to demonstrate the tragic danger that supercharged extreme weather events pose to this nation.

While those areas are beginning to recover, Pruitt is moving to remove protections that could help to slow down the rate at which both the frequency and severity of such weather events will grow through the coming years.

According to recent national assessments, the U.S. is already experiencing more severe weather events and increased illness and death from the spike of intense heat waves and pollution.

The Trump administration is making it clear that it is rigging the system to benefit big polluters at the expense of Maine citizen’s health and safety. That decision is against the environmental values of the great state of Maine.

Cassidy Cloutier, Auburn

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