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Saturday 17 November 2018

Trump says will name EPA’s acting chief to post permanently

latory rewrites more likely
to stand up to court chal-
lenges.Since becoming
acting EPA head, Wheeler
has advanced proposals
that would ease emissions
limits for power plants, for
cars and for oil and gas
facilities, rejecting earlier
EPA findings that some of
the moves would lead to
increased deaths from pol-
lutants.
However, Wheeler also has
slowed another Pruitt-era
rollback that would have
allowed trucks rigged with
outdated, dirtier-burning
engines to stay on the road.
“Compared to Adminis-
trator Pruitt, Mr. Wheeler is
better,” Sen. Tom Carper,
a Delaware Democrat and
one of the most consistent
critics of Trump’s EPA, said
Friday in a statement after
Trump’s announcement.
“Compared to Administra-
tors Ruckelshaus or Whit-
man, he’s not doing nearly
EPA acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, smiles as he is recognized by President Donald Trump during a Medal of Freedom as well,” Carper added.
ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Also pictured is Education Secretary Betsy He was referring to William
DeVos, left, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, second from right. Ruckelshaus, who was ap-
Associated Press pointed by Richard Nixon
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER drew Wheeler, a former Environmental Protection much.” to head the EPA in 1970
Associated Press congressional aide and Agency since his scandal- The White House said Trump and Christine Todd Whit-
WASHINGTON (AP) — An- lobbyist who has led the plagued predecessor re- was signaling his intent to man, who was appoint-
signed earlier this year, got nominate Wheeler. The ed to the post in 2001 by
President Donald Trump’s nomination would require George W. Bush.
nod Friday for the perma- Senate confirmation. Sena- “If the president intends to
nent job. tors approved Wheeler as nominate Andrew Wheeler
Wheeler’s promotion from the agency’s deputy ad- to be the administrator of
acting to permanent EPA ministrator in a 53-45 vote EPA, then Mr. Wheeler must
chief would keep him as a last April. come before our commit-
methodical and effective A veteran on Capitol Hill, tee so that members can
agent in Trump’s mission of Wheeler worked from 1995 look at his record as acting
rolling back environmental to 2009 as a staffer for Re- administrator objectively
regulations that the ad- publican Sen. Jim Inhofe of to see if any improvements
ministration regards as bur- Oklahoma, a fervent de- have been made at the
densome to business. En- nier of man-made climate agency since he took the
vironmental groups quickly change, and then for the helm.”
voiced their opposition. Senate Environment and The EPA did not immedi-
Trump announced his plans Public Works Committee. ately respond to a request
for Wheeler almost in pass- Wheeler later worked as a for comment Friday. En-
ing Friday at a White House lobbyist, including for coal vironmental groups con-
ceremony for Presidential giant Murray Energy Corp., demned the announce-
Medal of Freedom honor- which pushed hard at the ment.
ees. outset of the Trump admin- “In normal times, a zealous
Singling out Cabinet mem- istration for coal-friendly fossil fuel apologist and the
bers in the audience at the policies from the EPA and top official in charge of pro-
ceremony, Trump got to other agencies. tecting children’s health
Wheeler and said, “acting The grandson of a coal from pollution would be
administrator, who I will tell miner, Wheeler told staff- two separate people with
you is going to be made ers in his first days as the conflicting agendas,” Ken
permanent.” agency’s acting head this Cook, president of the non-
“He’s done a fantastic job summer that he was proud profit Environmental Work-
and I want to congratulate of his roots in coal country. ing Group, said in a state-
him, EPA, Andrew Wheeler. In the acting role, Wheeler ment. “But this is the Trump
Where’s Andrew?” Trump has a reputation as a more administration, where a for-
continued. “Congratula- open and cordial boss for mer top coal lobbyist could
tions, Andrew, great job, employees than Pruitt was, become administrator of
great job, thank you very and for producing regu- the EPA.”q