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of garbage like smoke, chemicals. you want more? this is the raw sewage flow from one home. >> at the present rate of pollution, it's predicted by end of the century, all of america's major river systems will buy logical dead. >> you have now seen something of the dimensions of the water pollution problem which confronts the country. what do we propose to do about it? >> there was a time in this great nation when scenes like this were the norm. cities choked in thick, dirty air. rivers and streams polluted. going for a swim could be toxic. eating fish, poisonous. >> one hesitates to go too far about the putrid mess that was rivers in much of the united states, but it was true. you had smoker's lungs in many parts of the country just from living outdoors. not because you were a smoker. >> when i was growing up, you could see pollution. you could taste it.

it was everywhere. >> the land started looking for a garbage dump. people finally said we've had it. >> the late 196s, an era of change across society from anti-war protests, civil rights, the women's movement and the environment was no exception. april 22nd, 1970, the first earth day. >> something really had stirred in the country and the country wasn't going to be the same again. >> clean water opens faces. these should once again the birthright of every america. if we act now, they can be. >> by the end of 1970, in response to intense public pressure, president richard nixon signed an executive order to create the environmental protection agency. >> i can remember being in the oval office, talking to president nixon about it. he had no choice, and he went after it, and he did a lot.

>> over naifive decades, eight presidencies the government has worked to protect the environment toward the mandate, until now. >> the epa is a disaster. it's killing us. >> our plan will end the epa. >> our air and water are the cleanest they've ever been by far. >> he's several times said we have the cleanest air and water in the world. that's not true. >> in a funny way, ironic way, today we're a victim of our own success. people don't see it anymore. it's not quite as obvious that the air is dirty. >> it's been almost 50 years since the environmental protection agency was created. but over the last couple years there's been unprecedented rollbacks in terms of environmental regulations under

president trump's leadership. we wanted to understand what does it really mean for the water, for the air that we breathe, for the health of our families? join us as we go on this nationwide investigation to find out what's at stake. >> the white house touts president trump's rollback of obama era epa regulations as one of his biggest achievements. >> how is this slashing affecting the work of the epa? >> those rollbacks threaten our health. they threaten the health of every single person who is exposed to those toxins. >> it went far beyond slashed budgets and cutting staff. it was about weakening the very agency that was designed to protect us. weaker rules on, you name it. air and water quality, fuel economy for cars, mercury,

methane, combatting the climate crisis. pesticides, and weaker enforcement. fewer cases against polluters and the lowest fines in decades. >> according to the latest annual report the epa has finalized 33 major releg tory actions. and claimed to have saved the american people $2 billion at the same time. >> every time i have heard this administration talk about rollbacks, it's always been reducing cost to the polluters, not providing benefits to those that are harmed, and i don't understand it. it's not the mission of epa. >> one of the reasons the economy is so strong is that we're not hampered by the ridiculous regulations that we were getting rid of. we're going to have the best epa that anybody has ever had. >> trying to decide what's motivating the epa today is difficult, but i would say that

it's not so much about science as it is about economics and politics. it's not good for any of us in the long run. we pay the price. >> charleston, south carolina. the low country. home to beautiful beaches and gorgeous sun rises. the place where 31-year-old drew wynn started his cold brew business. rip tide coffee. >> he was an entrepreneur by the simplest definition. he was the american dream. >> that's the smile that radiated. and that's the endearing smile that we all knew. >> when people ask you about drew, how do you describe him? what words come to mind? >> gregarious, industrious. i think the whole issue of

methaline clo ri methaline chloride and what it does to some people, some people understood. the manufacturer understood. >> like most people, no win in the wynn family had ever heard of methaline chloride until one tragic day in 2017? >> how did you find out? >> drew's business partner was knocking at the door. >> he was hysterical. he was just yelling. he's gone. over and over again. he had apparently passed out on saturday while stripping paint from the floor. the first responders had to wear hazmat suits when they did the autopsy. and the cause of death was the inhalation. >> this is the death certificate. >> it is. >> it says on here -- it says

it. >> yes. that's it. cause of death, methaline chloride inhalation. >> you know, you don't typically see it that clear cut. >> it was an ingredient in the paint stripper drew had been using. you may have seen it yourself. up until recently it could be found on shelves in most local hardware stores. immediately after drew's death, his brother dove into researching how exactly this would have happened. what he discovered shocked him. >> this was identified 30 years ago. some folks looked at this and said this stuff is really bad. so it was really one of these things where you're like how can this just be sold to folks and be used the way it is? >> and drew's not the first person. we know that there have been dozens of innocent human beings like him that bought a product off a shelf that oh, yeah, if you read the fine print, which

you can see in tiny language, it says be careful. don't use in closed areas. you've got to ventilate. if you don't read that and then people die, and dozens have died just for doing everyday stuff with a product that is not necessary. shouldn't be sold to consumers over the counter. and epa proposed that it be banned for that very reason. >> that retail and commercial ban was proposed at the end of the obama administration. after 2016 legislation gave the epa authority to review 10 potentially dangerous chemicals. but that action was delayed after president trump took office. and in october of 2017, drew wynn died of methaline chloride inhalation. >> do you think the epa could have prevented drew's death? >> i think they could have. i really think they could have. it was so close to being finalized.

>> and i believe that there's a high probability that that product might not have been on the shelf when my son went in and bought it. >> do you blame the epa for drew's death in. >> absolutely. absolutely. it's their responsibility. >> that conviction would drive the wynn family to d.c. to go toe to toe with the epa leadership. >> coming up how the rollbacks effect our most vulnerable. how they effect you.

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climate, clean air, and chemicals. it's something we heard over and over again, how can i protect my child from potential dangers in the environment? in the air, the water, the soil, the food? one thing we know for sure is chronic diseases have been increasing in american children. asthma, cancers, childhood obesity has tripled. neurological disorders have skyrocketed. why is this happen, especially in one of the wealthiest nations in the world? we went to california to try to find some answers. >> that's super cute. >> that is cute. >> 39-year-old manitia is pregnant. like my mom to be, she wants to do all she can for her baby's health. avoid high mercury foods, drink filtered water, exercise. >> this is the baby's rip cage.

>> i was surrounded by other similar-aged women who are healthy, active, apparently doing all the right things and still having trouble getting pregnant or maintaining their pregnancy. it made me wonder if it was something to do with my environment. >> scientists wondered the same thing. why has it become more difficult to get pregnant? to stay pregnant? so they are following mothers like her from pregnancy, the baby's birth, and through the age of four. >> you think of the womb -- >> uh-huh. >> as the safest place and the most protected place on the planet. right? how safe is the womb? >> it's a really terrible but the fetus is exposed to chemicals even before it's born. and there was a really important report by the national cancer institutes that said to a disturbing extent, babies are born prepolluted. >> prepolluted. it's not at all how we think of newborns. coming out of the womb already exposed to toxins. it's hard to wrap your brain

around the idea, but the truth is there are more than 80,000 chemicals in use in the united states. of those, only a few hundred have been tested for safety in human adults. and virtually no studies on children. so on some level, we are all guinea pigs. >> is it accurate to say the role of the epa is to gauge the level of risk of these chemicals? >> yes. >> to americans? >> they have a lot of authority that has been give ton them by congress to control hazardous substances or harmful chemicals. >> we can do a lot as parents. we can put locks on our cabinets so kids can't get into toxic substances under our sinks, putting bike helmets on, but there are some things with regard to the air we breathe and the water we drink and the soil around us that aren't under the control of an individual parent or an individual community. that's where government has an important role to play. >> this is dr. ruth. she wrote the book on pediatric

environmental health. until recently she was the director of epa's office of children's health protection. how would you describe your role at the ep sna. >> we considered ourselves to be the conscience of the epa. we would whisper in the ear of those looking at regulations, make sure this adequately protects the health of children. >> so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. president. >> there was a dramatic difference that occurred in january of 2017. for example, my job is to brief the administrator directly. under the obama administration, i would do that about once a month. during the two years of the current administration, i was not allowed any opportunity to brief either of the epa administrato administrators. >> who were you talking to then? who was listening to you, the conscience of the epa? >> i would say nobody was really listening to the office of children's health protection. >> epa's current administrator

maintains the commitment to protecting children's health. it's a sobering accusation given that children are especially vulnerable to pollution. they're not just small adults. children take in pound for pound more air, water, and food than grownups. and their immune systems are still developing so their bodies are not as good as getting rid of or repairing damage from toxic chemicals? >> if you talk to some of the scientists, some of the doctors that work for the chemical industry, a lot of times they'll say these chemicals aren't bad. we get they're pervasive and out there, but we don't know that it harms the baby, the fetus, in any way. >> we have conclusive evidence that a wide array of persistent chemicals in our environment have a profound impact on the development and growth of children. we know that impact is harmful to their long-term health.

>> that's why she was pushing for a stricter strategy on led poisoning on children when she was placed on administrative leave on september 25th, 2018. >> that day my boss walked into my office and said that i should turn in my badge and my keys and my computer, and she escorted me out the door. >> why? >> i asked that very question. i was flabbergasted, and i said why is this happening? tell me, have i done something. she would not tell me. >> her suspension sparked an outcry in the public health community. more than 40 organizations expressed concern and the american academy of pediatrics called for her reinstatement. >> we immediately reinstate the doctor who was abruptly put on leave. >> she is on investigative leave because of allegations by her employees, and i can't go into more details in a public setting because of personnel issues.

>> a spokesperson said the kinds of allegations that have been raised regarding her conduct are very concerning and prompted the epa to take action. >> poppycock. >> had you ever been told any of this before? >> no. in fact, all the input i had had prior to being placed on leave was that my leadership was very effective. >> in december of 2018, the trump administration unveiled its federal-led action plan. >> led exposure is a calamity that disproportionately harms children in low income communities? >> critics say the finalized plan took no specific regulatory or enforcement actions. and in march of 2019, the epa proposed a $50 million program to boost children's health. but at the same time the white house proposed a cut to the epa's budget totaling $2.8 billion. if you look in totality at what the last couple years of the

epa's work has done, have there been things you can point to and say yes, this will help protect children's health? >> in terms of actual regulation that will protect children's health during the last two years, i'm not aware of any. they're pretending to protect the environment in a way that people might think that they're doing that job. but actually, right now it appears to be a big charade >> the epa did not respond to cnn's interview requests for this documentary. coming up, the wynn family scores a victory in washington. and later, manitia's baby is born. volunteerism. fundraising. giving back. subaru and our retailers have given over one hundred and sixty-five million dollars to charity.

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my brother clayton. >> we're ready. we're ready. >> the wynn family from charleston, south carolina is on an audacious mission to take on the united states environmental protection agency. >> come on in. >> an outlawed chemical that killed 31 drew wynn in october of 2017. the manufacturer of the brand that drew used did not respond to cnn's request for comment. >> drew died an he shouldn't have. and we're here to try to ensure

that no one has to go through what we did. >> in january of 2017 months before drew's death, the epa was on track to ban methaline chloride for retail and commercial use. the ban was not finalized. not in 2017 or 2018 despite being responsible for at least 64 deaths since 1980. according to the advocacy organization, safer chemicals, healthy families. senators, members of congress, environmental groups, the wynns shared drew's story with anyone who would listen. you were at that hearing. you could see you in some of the shots behind pruitt. >> were you or others at epa aware of drew's death when -- >> i think it's important to know that we have a proposed ban in place being considered. >> obviously you're not going to admit whether you know about drew's death. >> to see the representative ask

that question, what do you have to say to his family, his brothers here today was a powerful, powerful moment. >> the point was clear. these aren't facts and figures we're talking act. these are human beings. >> exactly. >> breaking news coming in. new trouble for scandal plagued scoot pruitt. >> who is scott pruitt? >> he was an attorney general from oklahoma who made a pattern of suing the environmental protection agency. >> a show of hands, those of you who kind of hope that administrator pruitt will just sort of make the epa go away. washington d.c. should not be in the business of picking coal or natural gas or wind or renewables one over the others. it should be making things regular for all those in the industry. that's what we're committed to do in the epa. >> i love coal and energy country. they love scott pruitt.

>> clearly scott pruitt was not a fan of regulation or of the epa or of the environment. he was an embarrassment from day one. >> mr. pruitt is facing a dizzying number of ethics issues. >> allegations of a sweet heart deal for a $50 a night condo from lobbyists in d.c. >> accusations of secrecy and close ties to industry plagued him. then an unexpected invitation. the meeting for pruitt and the wynns and wendy heartily whose son kevin was a contractor. >> i handed him pictures of the product on the shelf. pictures of drew so he had a real face to this person, and when we left wendy and i handed him the death certificate, and we said we want you to see what was listed as the cause of death. i remember the expression on his

face, because he was standing there then looking at death certificates of two young men. >> two days later, may 10th, 2018, a stunning development. pruitt releases this statement. epa intends to finalize the methaline chloride rule making. >> on that day i felt everyone's efforts really is making a difference and has made a difference, so i felt okay, we've got this. i was naive. >> in case you're just joining us, the epa administrator has resigned after numerous scandals? . >> now she's the former epa chief, scott pruitt. >> citing unrelenting attacks on himself and his family, pruitt resigned on july 5th, 2018. less than two months after meeting with the wynn family. and president trump tapped andrew wheeler as the new administrator. >> when pruitt resigned, that

was it. we haven't heard from them since. >> you haven't heard from the epa since then? >> not once. >> by the end of 2018, still no word on the ban. >> i just called epa's office to leave a message for mr. wheeler. >> but the wynns took matters into their own hands with relentless petitions letters and calls. they took on the retailers, the places where the chemical was sold, and shamed them into action. >> there will be no more methaline chloride products sold at lowe's, home depot, sherwin williams. we did the job of the epa by removing it from the retailers. >> you did. >> so let's move and just finalize it. i've let them know we're not going away. >> coming up, what a campaign promise might mean for your

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>> coal is coming back. clean coal is coming back. 100%. clean coal, beautiful, clean coal. we have ended the war on beautiful, clean coal. >> no other environmental issue probably fires up president trump more than coal. beautiful, clean coal as he calls it. but researchers and scientists that we talked to say that clean coal is a fallacy. that's because the smokestacks that you see behind me, they're emitting harmful chemicals like nitrogen dioxide and mercury, and those can be swept miles away. people around the area are vulnerable. another thing that comes out is sulfur dioxide. that's often invisible. they are microscopic particles

that get into your lungs and bloodstream, and that worsen respiratory diseases and also heart problems. faced with the increasing popularly of cheaper, cleaner energy options like natural gas, wind, and solar, the trump administration pushed back and hard. >> okay. i made my promise, and i keep my promise. >> aiming to loosen rules on things like mercury. the cleanup of coal ash waste, and allowing for more production at coal power plants all leading to more toxic pollution in the air. >> when you look at what the epa has done to the regulation on coal fire plants specifically, whose health is at stake? >> everybody's health is at stake. research points to coal particles being far more toxic than others. it also is the source that has the greatest impact on climate change.

so it's sort of a double whammy, coal. >> when epa scott pruitt resigned in july of 2018, president trump taped this man to lead his pro coal agenda. who is andrew wheeler? >> i see andrew wheeler as being way more professional than scott pruitt. he knows the agency, and he knows how the regulatory process works. >> andrew wheeler was a lobbyist for the coal industry. >> he's bound to be affected by that. and believe their interests are in the public interest. >> you asked me to do three things, continue to clean up the air, continue to clean up the water, and continue to provide regulatory relief to keep the economy growing. the president knows we can do all three at the same time. >> washington d.c., 1991. andrew wheeler started off his career at the epa's office of pollution prevention and toxics. four years later, he moved to capitol hill.

wheeler spent 14 years serving under senator james enrof, a renowned climate change denier who once used a snowball to try to disprove global warming. after the senate, wheeler spent nine years as a lobbyist consultant working with more than 20 clients including a trade associations and the largest private coal mining company in the united states. >> i did work for a coal company, and i'm not ashamed of the work i did for the coal company. the number one issue they asked me to work on was to shore up the pension and health care benefits for the mine workers retirees. >> you talk about andrew wheeler. supporters say look, that's an asset. he worked in the industry. he knows things about the coal industry. that makes him more knowledgeable. he can bring some of that knowledge to the epa. >> i think there is a role for people who are in the industry to advise and to come and testify, but the decision-maker

should be objective, and there's no confidence that he would be objective given his history. >> do you think that andrew wheeler and scott pruitt before him wanted to hurt the environment? >> i don't think they necessarily want to put people's lives at risk. i think they do make a cool k calculated risk. it's almost like a cost benefit analysis. >> cost versus benefits. lives risked versus dollars saved. we heard it over and over again. a calculation at the core of the biggest proposed rollback of this white house. >> we are cancelling president obama's illegal anti-coal so-called clean power plan. >> the clean power plan designed to combat the growing climate crisis. >> the ep sa setting the first ever nationwide standards to end the limitless dumping of carbon pollution from power plants. >> how enforceable is all of

this? >> essentially the epa is shaping a rule that says to each state, look, we're going to set a bar that you have to meet in terms of removing carbon emissions from the atmosphere. that's under federal law. >> no surprise, the coal industry was against it. 27 states and dozens of companies challenged the clean power plant. and in 2016, the supreme court temporarily blocked it from taking effect. and then the trump administration repealed it altogether, claiming the plan overstepped the bounds of the epa's authority under the clean air act. >> we mine and use our coal in the united states in a cleaner fashion than our international competitors. >> trump's epa replaced the obama era plan with the clean energy rule, known as ace. >> rather than punishing u.s. production and yielding the marketplace to chinese coal, which is what the obama clean power plan did, we are leveling

the playing field and encoura encouraging invo vags and technology across the -- >> it allows them to extend their life span and increase the amount of pollution the plants put out because they're used more. >> when it's fully implemented we expect to see the u.s. power sector reduce co 2 emissions by has much as 35% below 2005 levels. >> additional pollution from the proposed trump era rule will result in up to 1400 more premature deaths a year by 2030. by the same year the obama administration's plan would have avoided or prevented approximately 3600 premature deaths. >> they acknowledge that emissions of co2 will go up. that the number of premature deaths from exposure to particulate matter will increase. so in effect, this epa is proposing a rule that they know

will kill people. >> i've been accused of rolling back the clean power plan, but you can't roll back something that never went into effect. >> a coalition of 22 states filed suit against the trump administration to block the ace rule. >> we're in an upside down world where the epa has become a threat rather than a protector of public health. >> neither the epa or pruitt responded to cnn's interview requests. coming up, we're on the front lines of these epa rollbacks. i've been diagnosed with

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a book that you're ready to share with the world? get published now, call for your free publisher kit today! we have the cleanest air in the world in the united states, and it's gotten better since i was president. >> air quality in the united states is much better than it used to be, but it's not as good as it might be to protect the health of our citizenship. >> in all worldwide air quality rankings, the united states falls behind other developed nations. and the american lung association and epa's own data find that air quality is worse now under this administration. it's a reality felt here in

manchester, a neighborhood in houston, texas. a sort of real-life canary in the coal mine. >> you know, just being here you can right away tell there's a difference. your eyes start to water a little bit. i get a bitter taste in the back of my throat. remember, this is a place that is surrounded by chemical plants and oil refineries. so many of those proposed changes by the epa really have to do with the air that we breathe. look, you can drink bottled water. you can eat organic food, but when it comes to the air, we're all breathing the same air. so any looser regulations there could mean more deaths for everyone. >> air quality is worsening. this is going to be the thing you want to pay attention to. tomorrow our air quality is in the unhealthy for sensitive groups range. >> the way we know it's a bad air quality day is typically through the local use or cell phone alert. that's thanks to the epa and the

clean air act. the agency sets the standard for what is considered good air and bad. but even that basic measure is now under threat. >> they've gotten rid of entirely the clean air science advisory committee that is dealing with particulate matter. >> in fact, the total number of people reviewing air quality standards for the entire country went from dozens to just seven. >> if you don't like the message, kill the messenger. in this case, they don't like the message from scientists so they disbanded the committee. >> that formal sub committee review process that took and literally months and years -- >> are you wiping out all the sub committee? >> yes. for the ozone and pm and then we'll see how that goes. >> the epa administrator calls that efficiency. >> the agency has never met the five-year deadline under the clean air act. we tried to reform the process.

>> those reforms go far beyond the clean air committee. unprecedented changes, all across the agency. rebuked by former epa heads who has served both democratic and republican presidents. in an extraordinary moment, they came together to ask congress for one thing. >> the attention that you are paying to oversight of epa, there has never been a time when it was more urgently needed. >> the agency is e vavisceratin the science advisory board. where they are putting on scientists, they're from industry, not representing any other side. >> in fact, many consultants and lobbyists have been placed in leadership roles while academic researchers who received epa grants are pushed aside. people who had received grant from the epa, in fact, the epa said we value your research, we're going to fund the research, they were the same

people told you're no longer welcome to sit on a board? a sentiment shared by most doctors, researchers and many lay people like drew wynn's father, hal. >> they staffed the highest levels down to wherever the lowest levels are with kronys from the industry and it's pretty clear that their agenda is not the agenda that puts people before profits. former epa administrator pruitt, the man the wynn family met with in 2018, he took a job as a coal lobbyist in indiana in 2019. he did not respond to interview requests for this documentary. >> i have some very serious concerns about the epa being run by former lobbyists, setting the rules for former clients. >> the epa also left cnn's

request for comment unanswered, but the man in charge had this to say about potential conflicts of interest. >> i've not met with any of my former clients and i follow the career advice of the epa ethics officials. coming up -- a beautiful baby is born. >> the levells tended to be higher. >> be the wynns. >> we did it and we know how proud you would be. [ music: "i am" by club yoko plays ]

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hey! i live on my own now! i've got xfinity, because i like to live life in the fast lane. unlike my parents. you rambling about xfinity again? you're so cute when you get excited... anyways... i've got their app right here, i can troubleshoot. i can schedule a time for them to call me back, it's great! you have our number programmed in? ya i don't even know your phone anymore... excuse me?! what? i don't know your phone number. aw well. he doesn't know our phone number! you have our fax number, obviously... today's xfinity service. simple. easy. awesome. i'll pass.

big push. >> it's a life changing moment. almost every parent remembers. the sound that makes it all sink in, a vow to keep your child safe, happy, healthy. >> welcome to the world. happy birthday. >> happy birth day. >> they're part of a landmark multiyear study, scientists investigating how chemicals may affect the health of children. >> i love you so much.

>> oh, look how cute! >> the next month, the researchers visit her at home the deliver the preliminary results. >> you can see for example in general, your levels tended to be higher. >> her tests showed elevated level of chemicals known as p-phos. so did her baby's. they're found in food packaging, nonstick cookware, fabrics and even the most protected place on the planet, the womb. they have been linked to immune system dysfunction, liver damage, thyroid disease, cancer. the cdc estimates that some efls can be trace in the 98% of all

americans. they have been found in drinking supplies across the country, prafr prompting the epa to take action. >> epa is moving forward with the process outlined in the safe drinking water for p-pho and p-phos. >> while thousands have been blocked out, there are similar chemicals still in use. for manisha, that's simply not good enough. >> i want something to be done with this information. the more we study, the more we are made aware about the ineffects. >> but manesha and the other women participate in the study may never learn the results because the epa cut funds for the research in 12 other health care centers around the country. leaving scientists scrambling for how to continue. thousands of miles away in south carolina, a bit of hope.

>> he's gone. he's not coming back. knowing we can prevent this from happening to anyone else, that will add some closure. >> this is how it comes in the store. >> they have been fighting tire leslie for a ban on the chloride that killed drew wynne. the epa recommended a commercial ban in 2013, but trump era leadership delayed it. since then, six people have died from the chemical. by early 2019, the wynnes convinced 13 nationwide retailers to pull products from store shelves, but still no action from the epa. >> as long as it's available. >> reporter: but then, march 15, 2019, the epa invited the wynnes back to d.c. for the signing of the retail ban. >> retailers in the united

states will no longer be able to sell any product containing methylene chloride. >> a hard fought victory to eliminate risk for consumers but it's still available for commercial use and remains a danger for workers. >> i don't believe the epa could have done anything had we not fought. >> this is the particular beach that drew found the most peaceful. drew, we did it. and we know how proud you would be that the whole family fought for this, and we did it in your name.

this is cnn breaking news. this is cnn tonight. i'm lara coates in for don lemon. we begin with breaking news -- president trump about to depart for france to attend a summit he wuld rather skip. air force one waiting on the tarmac at joint base andrews to take the president to the meeting of the g-7. but source say he's been telling aides he thinks the summit's a complete waste of his time. we'll see why just ahead. also tonight, the wild claim by patrick burns the former ceo of overstock who says he was directed by the fbi to pursue a romantic relationship