"Anti-Secrecy Lawsuits Soaring Against Pruitt's EPA"

"Freedom of Information Act litigation is pouring in as the agency refuses to divulge details about the administrator's activities and travels."

"The Environmental Protection Agency has experienced a huge surge in open records lawsuits since President Donald Trump took office, an analysis of data reviewed by POLITICO shows — a trend that comes amid mounting criticism of EPA's secrecy about Administrator Scott Pruitt’s travels, meetings and policy decisions.

The legal attacks also reflect widespread interest in the sweeping changes Pruitt is enacting.

The suits have come from open government groups, environmentalists and even conservative organizations that have run into a wall trying to pry information out of Pruitt’s agency. The documents they’re seeking involve a broad swath of decisions, ranging from EPA’s reversals of the Obama administration’s landmark climate change and water rules to pesticide approvals and plans for dealing with the nation’s most polluted toxic waste sites."

Emily Holden reports for Politico February 26, 2018.