Sierra Club Releases Nearly 1,000 New Emails from Trump’s EPA - CleanTechnica

The Sierra Club has released 952 pages of emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, revealing communications between Trump-era EPA officials and various industry groups, including automakers, chemical manufacturers, and energy associations. These records expose efforts by corporate polluters and lobbyists to influence the EPA to roll back environmental protections, such as vehicle emissions standards and California’s waiver policy aimed at reducing tailpipe pollution. Notably, companies like Toyota and Ford sought direct meetings with EPA leadership to discuss these rollbacks, while trade groups like the American Petroleum Institute coordinated support for nullifying emissions waivers. The emails also highlight industry attempts to weaken regulations on harmful chemicals such as PFAS and PFOA, with chemical companies like Chemours and industry associations lobbying against Biden administration protections. The Sierra Club views these disclosures as evidence that the Trump administration’s EPA prioritized polluters’ interests over public health and environmental safeguards. The organization plans to continue using FOIA requests to increase transparency and holds that these communications