EPA Chief to Step Down, With Climate Still Low Priority
Thursday, 27 December 2012 13:33
By John M Broder, The New York Times News Service | Report
<http://truth-out.org/news/item/13578-epa-chief-to-step-down-with-climate-still-low-priority>
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http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/12/27-3
Published on Thursday, December 27, 2012 by Common Dreams
EPA Chief's Resignation Imperils Obama's Already Ambiguous Environmental Policy
Environmentally friendly replacement for Lisa Jackson would face GOP
gauntlet for confirmation
- Common Dreams staff
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson announced
Thursday morning that she will be stepping down after four years with
the Obama administration, leaving the position open to a wide array
of potential candidates.
Jackson's departure, though not a surprise, will coincide with the
beginning of Obama's second term, leaving his approach to
environmental issues-especially how he intends to combat the urgency
of climate change-much in question.
With highly contested environmental issues likely for the coming
year-including calls for dramatic reductions of green-house-gas
emissions, an approval question for the Keystone XL tar sands
pipeline, restrictions on hydraulic fracturing and others-Senate
Republicans are expected to make it difficult to replace Jackson with
someone who would seriously challenge the fossil fuel industry.
As the Fuel Fix Blog notes:
During Jackson's tenure, congressional aides sometimes joked that
the EPA head spent more time on Capitol Hill than the lawmakers who
frequently called her to testify.
The next EPA administrator is likely to oversee high-profile policy
governing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and refineries
and low-sulfur transportation fuel. The agency could play a key role
in regulating the use of hydraulic fracturing technology being used
to unlock natural gas and oil previously trapped in dense rock
formations.
Any potential replacement - no matter how well liked - could be in
for a tough confirmation battle, as [GOP] senators use debate over
the nominee to highlight their opposition to the Obama
administration's environmental policies.
Responding to the announcement, Center for American Progress Action
Fund fellow Dan Weiss stated:
Senate Republicans could wage pitched confirmation battles to bully
the administration into weakening public health safeguards....The
Republicans may use this opportunity to squeeze commitments from the
president to weaken public health protections he put in place during
the first term.
Obama's choice for Jackson's replacement could be indicative of his
approach to the environment in the next four years. Possible choices
include Bob Perciasepe, deputy EPA administrator; Mary Nichols, the
head of California's Air Resources Board; Gina McCarthy, assistant
administrator for EPA's office of Air and Radiation; and Kathleen
McGinty, former secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of
Environmental Protection.
The New York Times adds:
Ms. Jackson's departure comes as many in the environmental movement
are questioning Mr. Obama's commitment to dealing with climate
change and other environmental problems. After his re-election, and
a campaign in which global warming was barely mentioned by either
candidate, Mr. Obama said that his first priority would be jobs and
the economy and that he intended only to foster a "conversation" on
climate change in the coming months.
Perciasepe, Jackson's current deputy, will temporarily run the agency
until the replacement is confirmed.
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