EPA Administrator Michael Regan to Step Down

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Michael Regan, plans to resign on December 31. During his tenure, Regan led initiatives under President Joe Biden’s administration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.

In an email to EPA employees, Regan expressed pride in the agency’s efforts, stating, “We confronted climate change with the urgency science demands. We set the strongest standards in history and deployed billions to promote clean energy, create jobs, and reduce family costs.”

This week, Regan approved a waiver allowing California to implement groundbreaking clean car regulations aimed at banning gasoline-only vehicle sales by 2035. New EPA rules finalized in March are projected to reduce vehicle emissions by 49% by 2032 and facilitate electric vehicle (EV) adoption, leading to a decrease of 7.2 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2055.

Regan announced that Jane Nishida will act as the administrator until January 20, while Dan Utech will serve as acting deputy administrator.

Last month, the EPA enacted a methane fee targeting large oil and gas producers to curb emissions. However, it is likely to be overturned by the incoming Trump administration. Trump has indicated plans to nominate former Congressman Lee Zeldin to head the EPA, emphasizing his opposition to environmental regulations.

Trump has expressed intentions to reverse many of Biden’s EPA policies, focusing on fossil fuel usage, including the curtailment of carbon emissions from power plants and vehicles. He has declared he will begin rescinding vehicle pollution regulations from his first day in office, alongside reconsidering EV tax incentives and California’s emission standards.