"WASHINGTON — Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, plans to convene a team of researchers to test the scientific premise of human-caused climate change, he told coal industry executives on Thursday.

Speaking at a board meeting of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, a lobbying group for coal companies and their industry allies, Mr. Pruitt said his staff had already begun preparations for a “red team-blue team” exercise to challenge mainstream climate science, according to two people who attended the meeting but were not authorized to speak about it publicly.

The initiative, first reported by E&E News, is the latest in a series of moves at the E.P.A. that critics say is undermining the role of academic research at the agency charged with protecting the nation’s environment and public health."

Brad Plumer and Coral Davenport report for the New York Times June 30, 2017. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"EPA: Pruitt Will Launch Program To 'Critique' Climate Science" (ClimateWire) [3]

"EPA Chief Pushing Governmentwide Effort To Question Climate Change Science" (Washington Post) [4]