Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Today, it was announced that President-elect Joe Biden intends to nominate Michael Regan to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
For the past four years, Regan has led the North Carolina Department of Environment Quality. Regan assumed this role as the department grappled with a devastated morale following budget cuts and staff reductions, not unlike the current state of the EPA.
In his time as head of North Carolina’s DEQ, Regan negotiated the nation’s largest coal ash excavation; rejected the fracked gas Mountain Valley Pipeline extension while citing the need to invest in clean energy; and set up an environmental justice board. For his leadership and work on the cleanup of coal ash pits, Sierra Club North Carolina selected Regan as a recipient of its 2020 Distinguished Achievement Award.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“Joe Biden ran on the boldest, strongest climate policy -- one that centers climate justice -- in history. As he continues to build his cabinet, perhaps no pick thus far emphasizes this focus as much as Michael Regan.
“A longtime climate champion, Regan’s work rebuilding the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality demonstrated that building back to normal is not acceptable; we can and must build back better. Regan’s immediate attention to addressing environmental justice, cleaning up coal ash, and prioritizing clean energy is exactly what the country requires as the Biden administration seeks to rebuild after the worst administration ever for our environment and the climate.
“The Sierra Club celebrates Michael Regan’s expected nomination to lead the EPA, and looks forward to working with him to build a just, equitable, and sustainable future.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.