Wheeler’s Record on Protecting Public Health Is Abysmal

WASHINGTON – The Senate today is moving to confirm former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, replacing Scott Pruitt who resigned last year under a cloud of ethics breaches.

John Bowman, Senior Director of Federal Affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council, issued this statement:

“When it comes to protecting public health, Andrew Wheeler’s record is abysmal. As acting EPA administrator, his actions worsened the air we breathe, jeopardized the water we drink and increased our exposure to toxic chemicals. He disregarded science and the growing threats from climate change.

“Now as administrator, we expect he will continue doing the bidding of the polluters he used to represent. And what he can expect from us, and many others, is a wall of opposition and legal challenges to stop this dangerous agenda.” 

###

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org