"Even U.S. EPA's fiercest foes on Capitol Hill sometimes come calling for favors.

Take Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has made no secret about his disdain for the Obama EPA. The Kentucky Republican has said he would use his post to do 'whatever I can to get the EPA reined in.' He's now waging a war against the agency's climate policies by calling on states to ignore upcoming regulations he thinks are illegal.

But early last year, McConnell asked the agency for some assistance. In a January 2014 letter, he put in a plug for some of his constituents -- Discover Downtown Middlesboro -- seeking an EPA brownfield cleanup grant to revive one of the city's historic homes. He said he wanted to draw EPA's attention to the grant application, 'which I believe merits your full and fair review.'

The Senate's GOP leader isn't the only member of Congress who publicly bashes the agency -- particularly on hot-button political issues like climate change and air and water regulations -- but quietly asks for help on environmental cleanups or responding to their constituents' complaints or requests."

Robin Bravender reports for Greenwire April 8, 2015. [2]