4 Ways Wheeler Would Be A Disaster As EPA Administrator
January 9, 2019
Today Trump officially nominated Andrew Wheeler as his next EPA administrator. Here are a few of the many reasons why he would be a disaster as head of the EPA:
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Wheeler once served as the right-hand man to Washington’s most prominent climate denier.
New York Times: “Mr. Wheeler has worked in Washington for more than 20 years. He is a former chief of staff to Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, the conservative Republican who has become known as Washington’s most prominent denialist of the established science of human-caused climate change.”
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Wheeler is a former lobbyist who built his career around regulatory rollbacks that benefit the fossil fuel industry.
New York Times: “His career was built around quietly and incrementally advancing the interests of the fossil-fuel industry, chiefly by weakening or delaying federal regulations. Mr. Wheeler has worked in Washington for more than 20 years.”
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Even after joining the EPA, Wheeler continued to meet with clients he previously lobbied for.
Washington Post: “Since joining the EPA on April 20, Wheeler has met with multiple organizations and businesses that retained him in his capacity as a principal at Faegre Baker Daniels. The list includes biodiesel producer Darling Ingredients; agriculture giant Archer Daniels Midland and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, all of which ended their financial relationship with Wheeler’s firm before April 2016.”
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Wheeler’s EPA has already pushed proposals to benefit the coal industry at the expense of the climate and public health.
New York Times: “E.P.A. Will Ease Path To New Coal Plants.”
New York Times: “New E.P.A. Plan Could Free Coal Plants To Release More Mercury Into The Air.”