Senate Panel Should Reject Flawed EPA Nominees Wehrum and Dourson
WASHINGTON – The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is scheduled to hold confirmation hearings today for two nominees for top posts at the Environmental Protection Agency, William Wehrum to head the Office of Air and Radiation, and Michael Dourson to head the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
John Walke, clean air director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, issued this statement on Wehrum:
“The committee should not confirm Mr. Wehrum because he would be Trump’s dirty air czar. He’s dedicated his entire career to rolling back EPA health and clean air protections for Americans, while at EPA and serving his industry clients. When he last worked at EPA in the clean air office, his tenure was marked by extraordinarily harmful rollbacks and delays, and frequent court losses and rebukes from judges. He left Americans to suffer from dangerous and unlawful air pollution for many years after his tenure ended. It’s clear today that he lacks the dedication to protect Americans’ health and welfare as the nation’s top air quality official.”
Daniel Rosenberg, senior attorney in NRDC’s Health & Environment program, issued this statement on Dourson:
“The committee should not confirm Mr. Dourson. Putting him in a job that is supposed to protect people from toxic chemicals is like hiring Martin Shkreli to control the price of medicine. Dourson has had a long and profitable career as one of the chemical industry’s go-to scientists for hire to avoid toxic chemical safeguards. By picking him to head EPA’s toxics office, the Trump administration is protecting the chemical industry instead of protecting Americans’ health from dangerous chemicals. He is the wrong person for the job.”
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