Washington (CNN) Scott Pruitt's flights in first class or via military jets are for security purposes, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator told The New Hampshire Union Leader on Tuesday.

Pruitt said he flew first class from Washington to Boston for his New Hampshire trip Tuesday.

"We live in a very toxic environment politically, particularly around issues of the environment," Pruitt told the newspaper. "We've reached the point where there's not much civility in the marketplace and it's created, you know, it's created some issues and the (security) detail, the level of protection is determined by the level of threat."

The Washington Post analyzed records and reported Monday that Pruitt's use of taxpayer funds on first-class flights and luxury hotels exceeded his predecessors.

"Unfortunately ... we've had some incidents on travel dating back to when I first started serving in the March-April timeframe," Pruitt told The Union Leader.