Trump's statement:

“For too long, the Environmental Protection Agency has spent taxpayer dollars on an out-of-control anti-energy agenda that has destroyed millions of jobs, while also undermining our incredible farmers and many other businesses and industries at every turn. As my EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, the highly respected Attorney General from the state of Oklahoma, will reverse this trend and restore the EPA’s essential mission of keeping our air and our water clean and safe,” said President-elect Donald Trump. “My administration strongly believes in environmental protection, and Scott Pruitt will be a powerful advocate for that mission while promoting jobs, safety and opportunity."

The problem with this is that "the EPA’s essential mission of keeping our air and our water clean and safe" literally means forcing cutbacks on fossil fuel consumption. In other words, there is a blatant contradiction between strongly believing in environmental protection and acting to support the fossil fuel industry.

Union for Concerned Scientists -- Fox Guarding the Henhouse

Scott Pruitt has spent his career suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Now he's poised to take the helm.

President-elect Trump has just nominated Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to be the next administrator of the EPA. This would be disastrous for science-based public health and environmental protections.

Pruitt has a clear record of hostility toward the EPA. As Oklahoma's attorney general, he has tried time and time again to stop the EPA from carrying out its work to protect our health and safety. He has strong ties to the very industries he would be responsible for overseeing, especially fossil fuel companies. And he willfully misrepresents and denies the clear scientific evidence for climate change. We can't let him take the helm of this critical agency.

Pruitt's statements and actions are in direct conflict with the job to which he has been nominated. If he is approved, his tenure as administrator would be devastating to the EPA's ability to carry out its mission.

Sierra Club - Putting Big Oil in charge of the EPA

Trump just nominated one of Big Oil's greatest allies to head the EPA:

His pick, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, denies climate change is real. Pruitt viciously attacked the EPA and its efforts to stop air and water pollution. He's literally the mouthpiece of Big Oil, taking talking points written by energy lobbyists to publicly attack Obama's Clean Power Plan.

This is like putting an arsonist in charge of fighting fires.

Our environment, our children's health, and the future of our natural world are on the line. We're mobilizing to pressure the Senate from confirming Big Oil Pruitt, but we need your financial support to win this fight:

Pruitt's own bio proudly declares he "is a leading advocate against the EPA's activist agenda."

Instead, he's been a leading advocate for Big Oil's agenda. In a New York Times expose, journalists discovered that letters Pruitt sent challenging Federal clean air regulators were actually written by energy lobbyists. In return, Big Polluters filled Pruitt's campaign coffers.

This is a disaster. Scott Pruitt will undoubtedly fulfill Trump's promise to reduce the EPA to "tidbits."

This nomination is so extreme, we actually have a shot at stopping Pruitt's confirmation. But we've got to rally and show Senators that Americans didn't vote to let fossil fuel executives run our government, destroy our climate, or undermine decades of progress on cleaning up our air and water.

Public Citizen - Is Pruitt working for an oil executive?

Pruitt's own bio proudly declares he "is a leading advocate against the EPA's activist agenda."

Instead, he's been a leading advocate for Big Oil's agenda. In a New York Times expose, journalists discovered that letters Pruitt sent challenging Federal clean air regulators were actually written by energy lobbyists. In return, Big Polluters filled Pruitt's campaign coffers.

This is a disaster. Scott Pruitt will undoubtedly fulfill Trump's promise to reduce the EPA to "tidbits."

This nomination is so extreme, we actually have a shot at stopping Pruitt's confirmation. But we've got to rally and show Senators that Americans didn't vote to let fossil fuel executives run our government, destroy our climate, or undermine decades of progress on cleaning up our air and water.

CVR Energy’s primary refining assets impacted by the fuel standard include the Wynnewood facility in Oklahoma. A second major CVR refinery, Coffeyville in Kansas, is directly linked to key Oklahoma terminals. It is therefore important for journalists and senators who have to vote on whether to confirm Pruitt to ask questions about the nature of the interview between Icahn and Pruitt:

• Was Pruitt’s position on the Renewable Fuel Standard discussed?
• Was Pruitt aware of Icahn’s views on the fuel standard?
• What type of contact have Pruitt and Icahn had on CVR and the fuel standard prior to the interview process?

• President-Elect Donald J. Trump Intends to Nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to Serve as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Facebook)
• Trump Chooses Sworn Enemy Of EPA To Head EPA
• Let The Dismantling Begin: Climate-Change Denier Scott Pruitt Trump’s Pick For New EPA Chief
• Trump's EPA Pick: A Climate Denier With Disdain for the Agency He'll Helm