Story highlights Despite some signals he was moving toward accepting climate science, Trump chose a climate change denier to lead the EPA

Pruitt has spent years tackling the agency he may soon lead

Washington (CNN) Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has led lawsuits against the EPA. He has written the scientific debate over climate change is "far from settled." And he said the US' unnecessary environmental regulations have drained billions from its economy.

Now President-elect Donald Trump has tapped him to be the EPA administrator, a cabinet-level post responsible for the well-being of the environment.

Despite the overwhelming scientific consensus regarding humanity's impact on the planet's climate, Trump has denounced climate change as a something propagated by the Chinese government. He has bemoaned environmental regulations hampering economic growth and trashed international accords like the Paris Agreement.

Although Pruitt has not invoked the Chinese, he has been in vociferous agreement on all these points for years. Few people have Pruitt's demonstrated focus on and successes against the EPA.

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