Senate holds Hearing for Michael Regan, Nominee for EPA Administrator

Today, the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) held a hearing for President Biden’s nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Michael Regan. During the hearing Regan emphasized he will “restore” science and transparency at EPA, focus on marginalized communities and address high profile issues including Waters of the U.S., PFAS contamination in water and air, and climate change impacts to natural resources and citizens. Most recently Regan served as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and during the hearing recognized the critical role of state environmental programs in implementing EPA rules and regulations and the need for further engagement between the states and EPA. He also emphasized the lack of adequate resources at the state level and at EPA to tackle the large and serious challenges facing the nation including climate change impacts, environmental justice and racial inequities, and economic development through infrastructure, including water infrastructure investment. The hearing can be viewed in full here: Hearing on the Nomination of Michael S. Regan to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency – Hearings – U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

The EPW Committee will vote to report a nomination to the full Senate via a simple majority. The committee can vote to report the nomination favorably, unfavorably or without recommendation; the confirmation then moves to the Senate floor for a majority vote.