The Bush administration releases the National Energy Policy report developed by Cheney’s Energy Task Force, containing 105 recommendations that overwhelmingly favor fossil fuel industries while giving minimal attention to renewable energy. The report recommends opening the Arctic National …
George W. BushDick CheneyNational Energy Policy Development GroupExxonMobilShell Oil+6 moreenergy-policycorporate-captureoil-industrycheney-task-forceregulatory-capture+3 more
Between 1990 and 2010, the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Environment Task Force—directly funded by Koch Industries, ExxonMobil, and Peabody Energy—systematically passed over 100 model bills designed to weaken state environmental protections. The task force operated as a …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Koch IndustriesExxonMobilPeabody EnergyDuke Energy+2 morealeclegislative-captureregulatory-capturefossil-fuelsclimate-denial+3 more
Interior Secretary James Watt announces his resignation after describing a department panel as having “a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple,” mocking affirmative action. Watt resigns within three weeks of the September comments amid bipartisan condemnation. His controversial 33-month …
James WattRonald ReaganDepartment of InteriorBeach Boysinterior-departmentenvironmental-deregulationracismregulatory-capturepublic-lands
Anne Gorsuch Burford resigns as EPA Administrator after becoming the first cabinet-level official in American history held in contempt of Congress. Gorsuch had refused to turn over Superfund records related to a $1.6 billion hazardous waste cleanup program, citing executive privilege on …
Anne Gorsuch BurfordRonald ReaganCongressEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)Neil Gorsuchepaenvironmental-deregulationregulatory-capturecontempt-of-congresssuperfund+1 more