EPA chief Pruitt bars agency-funded scientists from its own advisory committees

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt issued a directive stating that scientists who receive EPA grant funding can't simultaneously serve on the agency's federal advisory committees. The rule affected an estimated 131 scientists sitting on three major advisory boards that provide independent expert guidance on environmental and health regulations. Pruitt framed the policy as eliminating conflicts of interest, but critics noted it applied only to academic researchers, not to industry-affiliated scientists who received EPA contracts. The result was the removal of dozens of university scientists from advisory positions while creating openings for industry consultants. The EPA's Science Advisory Board, Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, and Board of Scientific Counselors were most directly affected. Federal advisory committees exist precisely to give agency decision-makers access to independent expertise, and replacing academic researchers with industry representatives fundamentally altered the character of that advice.