Biden Put Climate at the Heart of His Campaign. Now He’s Delivered Groundbreaking Nominees
The president-elected picked N.C. environment chief Michael Regan to run the Environmental Protection Agency and Rep. Deb Haaland to head the Interior Department.
December 17, 2020
U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM), President-elect Joe Biden s choice for Interior Secretary, at the U.S. Capitol in January 2019. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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President-elect Joe Biden rounded out his climate and environment team Thursday with groundbreaking cabinet nominations at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior, agencies critical to his pledge to combat climate change and emphasize environmental justice.
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.
Stephanie Gross for Southern Environmental Law Center
Originally published on December 17, 2020 12:51 pm
President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate
environmental lawyer and Obama administration veteran Brenda Mallory to run the Council on Environmental Quality, according to a source with knowledge of the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect private conversations.
The White House office oversees environmental reviews for virtually all major infrastructure projects, including pipelines and highways.
Biden has promised to make climate change a top priority, and Mallory s appointment fleshes out a climate team with expertise in regulation, finance, diplomacy and environmental law. Mallory would work with John Kerry, the National Security Council s first special presidential envoy on climate; and Gina McCarthy, who would coordinate the domestic climate group within the White House. Biden s top economic adviser, Brian Deese, also has experience crafting climat
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Originally published on December 17, 2020 5:31 pm
President-elect Joe Biden will name Michael Regan, North Carolina s environment secretary and a former EPA official, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a source familiar with the decision who spoke about private conversations on the basis of anonymity.
If confirmed by the Senate, Regan would be the first African American man to run the EPA. He stands to inherit an agency that has been ground zero as the Trump administration rolled back climate and pollution regulations.
Biden has promised to make climate change a top priority, which would make the head of the EPA a major player in the new administration. The agency regulates pollution released by cars and trucks, industrial facilities, oil and gas wells, and power plants, and keeps track of U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that cause global warming.