Statement: President-elect Biden picks powerful advocate for the environment from North Carolina as EPA head

Media Contacts
Drew Ball

Nominee would restore the agency’s focus on science and public health

Environment North Carolina

RALEIGH — President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate Michael S. Regan to head the Environmental Protection Agency. As the leader of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality and a former EPA employee, Secretary Regan is known for his strong focus on science. He has deep experience and expertise in protecting air and water quality, as well as cutting greenhouse gas emissions. 

Regan has been a chief architect and advocate for Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 80: North Carolina’s Commitment to Address Climate Change.

In addition, Regan has protected communities from the threat of dangerous coal waste by achieving the largest coal ash clean up in the nation’s history The cleanup of nearly 80 million tons of coal ash is now enforceable by the courts and resulted in more excavation than in all four neighboring states combined.

He has held polluters accountable by working with the North Carolina attorney general, forcing Chemours, a subsidiary of Dupont Chemical, to restrict and clean up PFAS pollution and provide replacement drinking water for a wide swath of the state.

In response to Secretary Regan’s nomination, Environment North Carolina’s Director, Drew Ball, issued the following statement: 

“We are excited that president-elect Biden has selected North Carolina’s DEQ Secretary Micheal S. Regan to head up the Environmental Protection Agency. His long and impressive track record protecting our environment and the health of North Carolinians will serve our nation well. As he has done at DEQ, he will get EPA’s focus back on its core mission of protecting the environment and public health. 

“Our state has been served well by his work to hold polluters accountable. His work to ensure that broad and diverse groups of stakeholders, including historically disenfranchised groups, were brought to the table has been admirable.

“He served at the EPA under both President Bush and President Clinton, and he has worked well with our GOP-controlled legislature in North Carolina. His ability to work across the aisle will be a strong asset in DC.

“We will miss working with him in North Carolina but look forward to once again having an EPA that uses science to build a cleaner, safer and healthier future.”