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President-elect Joe Biden has tapped North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Michael Regan to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, multiple news outlets reported Thursday.
Mary Nichols, who leads the California Air Resources Board, was originally projected to be the favorite but her appointment reportedly fizzled after environmental justice groups raised concerns, calling her record on environmental racism bleak. Regan will be the first Black man to lead the EPA, if confirmed by the Senate.
Under Regan s watch at the DEQ, Duke Energy agreed to the largest coal ash cleanup in U.S. history, and environmentalists lauded his appointment to the federal agency.
Biden Picks Michael Regan to Run U S EPA wwdmag.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wwdmag.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
18 December 2020 12:01 GMT Updated 18 December 2020 12:01 GMT in London
US President-elect Joe Biden this week announced his choices for the top officials to serve on the incoming administration’s climate team, rolling out a slate of nominees that could indicate a sharp change of direction at agencies that have direct influence over the nation’s oil and gas operations.
Biden has chosen New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland to head the US Department of the Interior and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to lead the Department of Energy, both cabinet-level positions that will require confirmation by a closely divided Senate.
If confirmed, Haaland will be the first Native American to lead the Interior Department, which oversees oil and gas operations on federal lands and offshore blocks.
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Source: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Joe Biden has announced his pick for EPA secretary as Michael Regan, the secretary for North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality. As many outlets have noted, if confirmed, he would be the first African American man to obtain the role.
In his role in North Carolina, Regan has helped to clean up Cape Fear River and introduce North Carolina’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board, which reportedly helps the low-income and minority communities that suffer disproportionate exposure to harmful pollutants from refineries, factories and freeways, according to the AP.
Environmental groups are pleased with the announcement and suggested that Regan will work to reverse the damage done by the Trump administration.
Biden expected to nominate North Carolina environmental official to run EPA 790business.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 790business.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.