Pruitt Visit Met by Protesting Ethanol Producers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt is being met with protests deep in Trump country, as corn farmers and ethanol producers complain his support for oil and gas is hurting their industries. Midwest corn farmers are showing their unhappiness in rallies, on billboards and at meetings as Pruitt tours farm states this week. Corn farmers accuse Pruitt of waffling on a promise by President Donald Trump to boost use of ethanol in motor fuel. The EPA says Pruitt has gone to the Midwest to hear out the farmers and ethanol producers. The agency says a court decision is responsible for some of the slump in ethanol demand. The protests by farmers come as Pruitt faces a series of allegations of ethical misconduct back in Washington.