A group of 33 craft breweries have signed a letter urging senators to vote against the confirmation of Scott Pruitt as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The 33 beer companies are all partners in the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Brewers for Clean Water campaign. Among those signing the letter were Allagash founder Rob Tod, Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Steve Hindy, along with representatives from Goose Island and New Belgium, among others.
Their message: “Pruitt cannot be trusted to protect America’s water resources.”
“Mr. Pruitt’s record of attacking clean water protections shows that he is the wrong choice to lead the agency,” they wrote. “Our breweries cannot operate without reliable, clean water supplies. … We need an EPA administrator who will adopt and enforce policies that protect the water sources we use to make our great-tasting beer.”
The letter cited Pruitt’s actions as Oklahoma attorney general which they believe undermined environmental protections and “challenged virtually every important EPA safeguard in recent years, often falsely accusing the agency of overstepping its authority.”
“We need an EPA administrator who will enforce our laws to protect our resources and our communities, not someone who tries to weaken safeguards on behalf of polluters,” the letter read. “Beer is about 90 percent water, making local water supply quality and its characteristics, such as pH and mineral content, critical to beer brewing and the flavor of many classic brews. Changes to our water supply – whether we draw directly from a water source or from a municipal supply – threaten our ability to consistently produce our great-tasting beer, and thus, our bottom line.”
A number of prominent craft breweries listed on the NRDC website as supporters of the Brewers for Clean Water initiative did not sign the letter, however. Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, Avery Brewing, Founders and Great Lakes were among some of the more notable companies who were not included in the list of 33.
Read the full letter here.