Document MMj6x0vzd12EZey9XDyBzzgxa

Can you please give me a call at 202-564-3293? From: Robert Faturechi ["mailtoiRobert.Faturechi@propublica.org] Sent: Monday, June 19, 2017 11:08 AM To: Bowman, Liz <Bowman.Liz@epa.gov> Cc: Ivory, Danielle <damelle.ivorv@nvtimes.com> Subject: RE: NYT/ProPublica inquiry on Regulatory Task Forces, Deadline Wednesday Just making sure the questions below were received. Please let us know, and thanks. From: Robert Faturechi Sent: Friday, June 16, 2017 5:12 PM To: 'Bowman, Liz' Cc: 'Ivory, Danielle' Subject: NYT/ProPubiica inquiry on Regulatory Task Forces, Deadline Wednesday Hi Liz, As you know, Danielle Ivory and I are working on a story for The New York Times and ProPublica about the regulatory reform task forces that have been created at several major agencies, based on President Trump's executive order. Through interviews, public records and Freedom of Information Act requests, we have identified many of the members of these task forces and have found that some may be reviewing regulations that, in their previous jobs, they worked to weaken or eliminate entirely. We were hoping to ask you some questions ahead of our story publishing. Our deadline is Wednesday, June 21, at noon EST. We hope we will hear from you. If it would be easier to chat by phone please don't hesitate to call. Also, please note that we are requesting this information fully on the record, so that we can fully include your thoughts in the story. If something in particular needs to be on background, we are happy to discuss that with you, but please be advised that, otherwise, our conversations will be on the record. 17cv1906 Sierra Club v. EPA - 6/22 Production ED 001523 00002960-00003 -Our understanding is that Samantha Dravis, Ryan Jackson, Byron Brown and Brittany Bolen are on your regulatory reform task force. Can you provide us with the names of anyone else assigned to the task force? -Has the task force identified any regulations yet that might be revised or eliminated? If so, which ones? -As I mentioned before, we are stating in the story that EPA has thus far refused to disclose the calendar for task force chair Samantha Dravis through FOIA, even as an agency spokeswoman advised us we could get the calendar through FOIA. We also state that Ms. Dravis is a former top official for an industry-funded political group, that she is meeting privately with industry stakeholders, and that the agency is declining to say whether she has discussed regulations to eliminate with any of her previous employers or their funders. We mention Ms. Dravis' post at the the Republican Attorneys General Association, and her tenure as president of its Rule of Law Defense Fund, which brought together energy companies and Republican attorneys general working together to file lawsuits against the federal government over Obama-era environmental regulations. We also mention she worked for Freedom Partners. Will Ms. Dravis' prior employment working for industry-funded groups in any way affect her decision making while at EPA? Outside of agency comment, is there anything Ms. Dravis would like to respond to or add directly? -Our reporting found that another task force appointee, Byron Brown, is married to Lesley Schaaff, a senior government affairs manager for Hess Corporation who has lobbied the EPA directly. (The company was penalized more than $45 million by the EPA because of alleged Clean Air Act violations at its refinery in Port Reading, New Jersey.) Has or will Mr. Brown recuse himself from evaluating regulations affecting Hess? Has he received a waiver to work on such issues? Is it a conflict for him to work on such issues? Does he or his wife own any stake in Hess? Schaaff is also a member of the natural gas subcommittee for the American Petroleum Institute, which has lobbied the EPA's regulatory reform task force to ease natural gas rules including on methane emissions. Will Mr. Brown be recusing himself from issues relating to the American Petroleum Institute? Has he received a waiver to work on such issues? Outside of agency comment, would Mr. Brown like to comment on any of these issues directly? 17cv1906 Sierra Club v. EPA - 6/22 Production ED 001523 00002960-00004 -According to OGE records, none of the task force members have been issued waivers to deal with issues that they recently worked on in the private sector. Have any task force members recused themselves from dealing with any companies or issues and, if so, please elaborate. -We plan to report that Ryan Jackson was a longtime aide to Sen. Jim Inhofe. How will his prior employment affect his decision making while at EPA? Outside of agency comment, is there anything he would like to respond to or add directly? -We plan to report that Brittany Bolen was Majority Counsel for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (which was chaired by Mr. Inhofe). How will her prior employment affect her decision making while at EPA? Outside of agency comment, is there anything she would like to respond to or add directly? Thanks, Robert and Danielle Robert Faturechi Reporter. ProPublica Desk: 917-512-0216 Cell: 213-271-7217 robert.faturechi@propublica.orQ 17cv1906 Sierra Club v. EPA - 6/22 Production ED 001523 00002960-00005