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EPA nominee Regan questioned about WOTUS, RFS, & more

President Biden’s EPA administrator-nominee Michael Regan says he wants to look at what was learned by the Obama and Trump-era WOTUS rules before considering changes.  During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Regan said he has spent a lot of time with small farmers and environmental groups. “I’m looking forward to conviening multiple stakeholder groups on how we chart on how we path forward. I don’t believe we have to sacrifice water quality at the expense of making sure farmers, especially small farmers have a fighting chance in this economy. I believe that you can do both.”

And when asked by Senator John Boozman if he would wait for the Supreme Court to rule on Small Refinery Exemptions and fully account for the challenges faced by oil refiners under the Renewable Fuels Standard, Regan says, “I commit that we will fully follow the law, and I commit that we’ll fully be transparent. I am not certain that either side understands how these decisions were arrived to. Yes, I think it’s very important that we have transparency and that we use sound science and follow the law.”

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse urged Regan to “tear down the “fossel fuel fortress” that has been built around EPA in recent years.

Senators also asked Regan for his support of the Great Lakes Initiative, Chesapeake Bay funding, and if he would make PFAS contamination a priority at the EPA.