Dec 27, 2024 Story by: Editor
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Regan, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who prioritized environmental justice during his tenure, announced he will step down on Dec. 31, just three weeks before President Joe Biden’s term concludes.
In a letter to EPA employees on Friday, Regan highlighted the agency’s accomplishments under his leadership, including combating climate change, reducing air and water pollution, and utilizing billions from landmark climate legislation to advance clean energy initiatives.
“Our efforts have significantly reduced harmful greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, providing economic and public health benefits to communities historically burdened by pollution,” Regan wrote. The EPA’s initiatives also created jobs and lowered costs for families, he added.
As the first Black man to lead the EPA, Regan emphasized that his tenure placed environmental justice at the forefront. This commitment was showcased during his “Journey to Justice” tour in 2021, which traveled through low-income, predominantly minority communities from Jackson, Mississippi, to New Orleans and Houston. The tour highlighted the impacts of decades of industrial pollution on these areas.
Regan, 48, who previously headed North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality, announced plans to return to his home state with his family.
In the interim, Jane Nishida, the EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs, will serve as acting administrator, while Regan’s chief of staff, Dan Utech, will assume the role of acting deputy administrator.
Democratic Senator Tom Carper of Delaware, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and is set to retire, praised Regan’s leadership. “He has a good heart and a brilliant mind,” Carper said in a statement, calling Regan a “good steward” of the environment.
Carper acknowledged the challenges Regan faced as EPA chief, including restoring morale, reinstating science-based policies, enforcing environmental regulations, and addressing staffing shortages caused by a wave of departures during the Trump administration.
“But from the moment he was confirmed by the Senate, Michael took quick action to restore the agency,” Carper said. He noted that Regan guided the EPA in allocating billions of dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act—two major legislative achievements of 2021 and 2022.
Regan expressed gratitude to President Biden for appointing him to lead the EPA, stating, “Ten years ago, I could have never imagined coming back to lead EPA alongside such committed and dedicated staff.”
Reflecting on the agency’s progress, Regan said the EPA made significant strides, including removing lead pipes, safeguarding drinking water for millions of Americans, and addressing “forever chemicals” like PFAS that contaminate products, water, and communities.
Under Regan’s leadership, the EPA reinvigorated enforcement efforts following four years of environmental rollbacks during the Trump administration. The agency held polluters accountable and ensured they funded cleanups of legacy pollution sites nationwide.
The EPA also banned hazardous substances like asbestos and trichloroethylene (TCE) and responded to environmental emergencies across the country, including incidents in Asheville, North Carolina, and Tampa, Florida, over the past year.
To rebuild capacity, the EPA hired thousands of new employees, including scientists who had departed during the previous administration.
Looking ahead, the incoming administration, led by former President Donald Trump, has signaled plans to undo many environmental regulations. Trump has named former New York Representative Lee Zeldin as the next EPA administrator, pledging to target what he views as burdensome rules on power plants, factories, and oil and gas production.
Although Regan did not directly mention Trump or Zeldin, he assured EPA staff, “The work continues. I have nothing but optimism and faith in your commitment to continue delivering public health and environmental protections for every person in this great country.” Source: AP News
