"The era of secret science at EPA is coming to an end," Pruitt said on Tuesday. "The ability to test, authenticate, and reproduce scientific findings is vital for the integrity of [the] rulemaking process. Americans deserve to assess the legitimacy of the science underpinning EPA decisions that may impact their lives."
22 February 2018, 00:42 GMT
According to the release, the rule signed by Pruitt will ensure that the regulatory science underlying government actions is fully transparent and publicly available.
Senior Government Relations Officer for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sean Gallagher, told NPR news that Pruitt’s new rule will limit the "best available" science that can be used by the EPA.
The EPA chief has come under fire recently over alleged ethics violations and abuse of government resources. Last week, 107 US lawmakers signed a resolution urging Pruitt to resign.
