EPA scraps $1 million in gym memberships for employees

The Environmental Protection Agency is scrapping the agency's nearly $1 million in gym memberships as an abuse of taxpayer funds. "We have ended taxpayer-funded fitness centers at EPA; a program that was costing American taxpayers $900,000 per year," said EPA spokesperson Jahan Wilcox. "Disinvestment in using federal funds for EPA fitness centers will allow the agency to invest this money in core activities to protect the environment." The Washington Free Beacon first reported the decision on Monday. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt vowed to get rid of the gym memberships after the newspaper reported earlier this year that the agency had paid $15,000 per year for employees in Las Vegas to upgrade to premium fitness memberships at 24 Hour Fitness. This was done even though the employees already had complimentary gym memberships at the University of Nevada's campus in Las Vegas...more