wens Kane 2 oem ne oy - a Congress of the Muted States "aoa ee ‘Hous: of Representatives ooeenee ice Care ‘Bhustingion, Bd 20515 al Gio ay 24,2018 Arthur A. Elkins, J. Inspector Genera Office of Inspector General 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW ‘Washington, DC 20460 Inspector Genera Elkins Litto call your attention to recent actions by Adminstrator Seot Pruitt andthe US. Environmental Protetion Agency (EPA) secking to block journalists and Members of Congress fiom atending a taxpayer-funded summit recently held athe agency's headquarters, (On May 22 and 23, 2018, the EPA hosted a National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. on per- and polyuoroalky! substances (PFAS). According to multiple media report, the EPA blocked some, but not ll, journalists from aitending both days ofthe summit Reporters fom, CNN, POLITICO and other media organizations were nt allowed to cover the summit atthe EPA headquarters. On the first day ofthe summit, the Associated Press also reported that an EPA security official “grabbed a reporter by the shoulders and shoved her forcibly out ofthe EPA building” when te reporter asked to cover the event. ‘Additionally, my congressional staff was blocked from attending portions ofthe EPA PFAS ‘summit. While the EPA selectively invited certain Members of Congress to participate, according othe lst of confirmed organizations posed an iis website was never invited to attend, My office contacted the EPA's Congressional Affairs Office to inquire about attending, land our office was intially told by the EPA that they were “optimistic” that we could attend However, the EPA subsequently would only allow my staff to attend certain portions of the ‘summit, despite the public agenda forthe summit inviting “federal partners and co-regultors.” ‘Lam very troubled by Administrator Pruitt and the EPA's attempt wo block sccess to a taxpayer: funded meeting, ether for joumalists or Members of Congress. Simply put, the public ase ight ‘to know what is happening inside their government, [epresent two eommuniies—Flint and (Oscoda, Michigan—that ar facing drinking water contamination crises. In Fling, failies ‘continue to recover from a man-made crisis that leeched lead into the city's water supply. [a ‘Oscoda, veterans and residents are finding high PFS levels in their ground water. My constituents deserve answers ftom the EPA on is efforts to help these and other communities facing contamination issues.LInfortunately, the EPA's actions to block joumalists and elected officials ft a disturbing fatten by the Trump Adminstration when it comes to transparency in government. Last week, itvis ‘seported thal the EPA intervened to block the publication ofa health tudy showing dangeous levels of PEAS chemical in drinking water across Ameria, The actions bythe Trump ‘Administration and Administrator Pruit give me great concern about the lack of accountability and transpareney in our government Itis my hope thatthe Office of Inspector General wil conduct fir and thorough investigation inta thie mater. inching i Administration Prit or the EPA, through their attempt to lit, access, violated any federal laws or agency regulation, including federal statutes conceriag ‘open meetings and transparency. Sincerely, Daniel T. Kildee MEMBER OF CONGRESS