Joe Biden Taps Black North Carolina Environmental Official To Run EPA
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Michael Regan has been selected by Joe Biden to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. (Image: Twitter/@CNNPolitics)
President-elect Joe Biden is set to nominate North Carolina Environmental Quality head Michael Regan to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
If Regan is confirmed he would be the second Black American to lead the EPA. Lisa Jackson, who served in the role during the Obama Administration, was the first. Regan would also play a central role in fighting the climate crisis, air pollution, and the administration’s move from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Biden promised during his run-up to the election to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and to eliminate fossil fuel emissions in the power sector by 2035.
Bidenâs Cabinet Choices Prove His Climate Commitment
Rep. Deb Haaland
President-elect Joe Biden s recent environmental-related Cabinet selections have the experience required to effectively handle their jobs, a contrast to the current administration and further proof of Biden s commitment on the issue.
On Thursday, Biden tapped Michael Regan, North Carolina s Department of Environmental Quality secretary, to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
Brian Buzby, who leads the North Carolina Conservation Network, applauded the decision, telling the New York Times, It signals that the Biden administration is serious about getting the E.P.A. back to its core mission to protect the environment and public health as well as ensure strong, meaningful steps are taken to advance environmental justice issues.
By Lisa Friedman
WASHINGTON President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will nominate Michael S. Regan, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, according to three people on the Biden transition team.
Mr. Regan became Mr. Biden’s top choice only in recent days, two people familiar with the selection process said. The front-runner had for several weeks been Mary D. Nichols, California’s air quality regulator, but she faced significant criticism from liberal groups who accused her of not doing enough to address issues of environmental racism in her state.
Mr. Biden also has been under pressure to make his cabinet choices more racially diverse. If confirmed, Mr. Regan is expected to bring a strong focus on racial equity to the agency.