A headshot of John Walke John Walke

Director, Federal Clean Air & Senior Attorney, Environmental Health

John Walke has spearheaded the organization’s national clean-air advocacy before Congress, in the courts, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and before the public since 2000. Before joining NRDC, he spent three years working as an attorney in the EPA’s Office of General Counsel, where he handled cases related to permitting, air toxins, monitoring, and enforcement under the Clean Air Act. Prior to that, he was an associate in a private law firm based in Washington, D.C. Walke is a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School. He is based in Washington, D.C.

Areas of Work
Clean Air

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Grow the Flow Executive Director, Ben Abbott (left), and local residents Alan and Brenna Williams look at a map of the proposed Hansel Valley site of a massive data center, which they are fighting, in Box Elder County, Utah, on July 13, 2026. Many local business owners and residents are opposed to Stratos buildling a massive data center near the Great Salt Lake. The project faces intense environmental and community scrutiny regarding water rights, power consumption, and local ecological impacts.

Stratos Data Center Will Emit Air Pollution that’s Linked to Premature Deaths and Health Economic Damages for Utah and States Downwind

Expert BlogUtahJohn Walke
A new report models emissions from different on-site methane generation power scenarios to show potential impacts on the people of Utah and residents of multiple downwind states.
A row of houses with industrial smokestacks and plumes of emissions in the background

Mercury’s Journey from Coal-Burning Power Plants to Your Plate

ExplainerUnited StatesSusan Cosier
The Trump administration is allowing utilities to release more of this potent neurotoxin into the environment.
A group of local residents raise their fists in protest outside the Valero Houston Refinery petroleum facility in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, Texas.

The Toxic Assault on Your Right to Breathe Safe Air

Expert BlogUnited StatesEmily Davis, John Walke
The Trump administration is moving to save corporations money at the expense of public health and air quality.

Publications

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NRDC Dear Senator Letter Oppose S.J. Res 31 (PDF)

LettersUnited StatesJohn Walke, Emily Davis, Olivia Keck
A public health/process-focused letter that we sent to all Senators, signed by 83 public health and environmental organizations.
Smoke blows out of two tall industrial stacks

Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know

GuideUnited States, InternationalJillian Mackenzie, Jeff Turrentine
How smog, soot, greenhouse gases, and other top air pollutants are affecting the planet—and your health.

Testimony of John Walke Against the Nomination of Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator (PDF)

TestimonyJohn Walke
Testimony of NRDC's John Walke at a Senate Democratic roundtable regarding the nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to be Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Resources

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The NRDC logo on dark blue background

Trump Proclamation Exempts Nation’s Dirtiest Coal Plants from Mercury & Air Toxics Standards

Ed Board MemoUnited StatesJohn Walke, Amanda Levin
This move is part of a bigger push by the administration to prop up the coal industry, even as cheaper, cleaner alternatives like wind and solar dominate new energy development.