Virginia Senate Committee Removes Wheeler Nomination from Consideration

VIRGINIA -- Today, a Virginia Senate committee, led by Democrats, removed Governor Youngkin’s nomination of former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler as Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources from consideration. Since the announcement of his nomination, former EPA workers, the Washington Post Editorial Board, and several environmental advocacy groups have decried the selection. 

The State Senate removed Wheeler from consideration due to his background as a coal lobbyist and as Donald Trump’s EPA Administrator, where he sidelined scientists and worked to restrict the use of scientific data in agency rule-making, rolled back dozens of clean air and water safeguards, and prioritized polluters over the agency’s mission.

In response, Kate West, Director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, released the following statement:

“Andrew Wheeler’s record proves his top priority is preserving the profits of polluters. He was disastrous for the EPA, and he would be disastrous for Virginia. In attempting to install Andrew Wheeler, with his decades of work on behalf of corporate polluters, Governor Youngkin told us where his priorities lie. We thank the Senate Democratic leadership for rejecting this dangerous appointment. Our government has an obligation to prioritize our health, access to clean air and water, and our Commonwealth’s natural resources. Governor Youngkin must end this pro-polluter effort now and withdraw his nomination of Andrew Wheeler.”