On December 18, Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William C. Baker applauded President-Elect Joe Biden’s choice of North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan to serve as the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Before Gov. Roy Cooper tapped him to run North Carolina’s environmental agency in 2017, Regan was a senior official working on climate change and clean energy, and before that southeast regional director at the Environmental Defense Fund.

He joined EDF after working on air quality and energy issues at EPA under former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

CBF President Baker issued the following statement:

“Michael Regan is an outstanding choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency at this critical moment. His task is nothing less than rebuilding the agency on the front lines of President-Elect Joe Biden’s ambitious plans to tackle climate change and address environmental injustice.

“As North Carolina’s top environmental official, Michael Regan won major settlements to clean up toxic chemicals and coal ash ponds, drafted the state’s plan to decarbonize by 2050, and created an environmental justice board to advise his department. Clearly he is up to the task.

“This is also a critical time for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup.

“We have just four years left to meet the Blueprint’s 2025 deadline to put the Bay and its waterways on the road to recovery. The Trump EPA has undermined the restoration effort by dismantling key air and water protections and allowing some states to shirk their responsibilities.

“The Chesapeake Bay Foundation looks forward to turning the page and working with this dynamic leader. We are confident that with Michael Regan at the helm, EPA will recommit itself to being the strong federal partner we need to save this national treasure.”

For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA webpage.  Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column).  Click Here to support their work.

Also visit the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership to learn how you can help clean water grow on trees.

CBF has over 275,000 members in Bay Watershed.

(Photo: Michael Regan.)

NewsClips:

Reuters: With Climate Change Focus, Biden Filling Environmental, Interior Posts

NPR: Biden Picks Michael Regan For EPA

AP: In Historic Pick, Biden Taps Haaland As Interior Secretary

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[Posted: December 18, 2020]

12/21/2020