Gaetz promises to create legislation to abolish EPA

(WEAR) — A Northwest Florida lawmaker wants to do away with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by 2018. Congressman Matt Gaetz has his eyes set on abolishing the federal program as his first order of business in his new role.

"Sometimes it's just better to start over from a blank slate," Gaetz told WEAR-TV.

Gaetz said that he does not want to get rid of the functions that protect the environment. He believes in conservation, but said the federal government is not doing a good job at it.

He explains that the EPA was established when states did not have the resources to determine what needed protection. He said that states have come a long way since then and should be in charge of the regulations.

"I would take the resources that we use to fund the bureaucracy at the EPA and would downstream those resources to states and local communities," Gaetz said. "We can have people closest to environmental assets ascertain the importance of those assets and protect them appropriately and responsibly."

Gaetz took some criticism on social media because of the proposed bill. One Facebook user said they were "sickened" by his lack of ethics.

Another posted that abolishing the EPA would be harmful for the environment and country.

According to the Huffington Post, Gaetz has asked other Republican lawmakers to co-sponsor his bill by February 3.