EPA unable to find Scott Pruitt's Alternate Climate Science. Judge unimpressed.

I, citizenschallenge, am unaffiliated with PEER - I share their press release out of my own concerns that too few Americans are aware of the scope of the GOP’s ruthless, unethical, ME FIRST inspired, attacks on climate scientists and their work.  More people need to speak up and support legitimate thoughtful efforts such as those by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

...  Judge Howell chided “EPA’s continued mis-reading of the FOIA request” and for reiterating “already-rejected arguments.” But she did note that PEER had previously “helpfully clarified” the request and directed the parties to “to confer and submit, by noon on July 6, 2018, a joint report regarding the search criteria agreed-to and not agreed-to …”

“PEER is more than willing to help EPA search its own database, although one would think a federal agency should be capable of undertaking such a pursuit without needing guidance from a small non-profit,” (PEER's) Dinerstein added ...

EPA STILL CANNOT FIND PRUITT’S ALTERNATE CLIMATE SCIENCE

https://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/epa-still-cannot-find-pruitt’s-alternate-climate-science.html

peer.org

Agency Asks Court for More Time to Develop “an Appropriate Search Methodology”

For Immediate Release: Jul 02, 2018 | Tags: climate, EPA

Contact: Kirsten Stade  (nepeer[at]peer.org)

Judge Howell rules: Pruitt must justify his climate science denial. (Text of Complete Ruling)

With a tip of my hat to Arstechnica, I reproduce a verbatim copy of Chief Judge Beryl's ruling in PEER's Freedom Of Information Act case against Scott Pruitt, the GOP's Environmental Protection Agency vandal.  

I have only added some bold highlights, a few extra paragraph breaks to help with clarity and one link to background regarding Pruitt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY (PEER),

Plaintiff,

v

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ,

Defendant.

Civil Action No. 17-652 (BAH)

v. Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell

June 1, 2018

MEMORANDUM OPINION

On March 9, 2017, Scott Pruitt, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), appeared on the CNBC program “Squawk Box” and stated, regarding carbon dioxide created by human activity, that “I would not agree that it’s a primary contributor to the global warming that we see,” and “there’s a tremendous disagreement about of [sic] the impact” of “human activity on the climate.” Compl., ¶ 18–19, ECF No. 1. 

Noting that these public statements by the EPA Administrator “stand in contrast to published research and conclusions of the EPA,” id. ¶ 20, the plaintiff, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (“PEER”), a “non-profit organization dedicated to research and public education concerning the activities and operation of [the] federal . . . government[],” id. ¶ 2, submitted a request to EPA, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), 5 U.S.C. § 552, for agency records “relied upon by Administrator Pruitt in making these statements and any EPA documents that support the conclusions that human activity is not the largest factor driving global climate change,”