Obama Nominates Gina McCarthy to Lead EPA

Date: March 4, 2013

Source: News Room

President Obama has officially nominated Gina McCarthy to lead the EPA. McCarthy currently heads the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation and has played a key role in crafting a variety of new pollution rules, including limits on soot and mercury emissions from power plants. Her background in air pollution signals Obama's ambition to make climate change a priority during his second term. He has already said that if Congress fails to act, he would use executive authority to advance his goals to curb emissions of greenhouse gases and boost clean energy. The EPA would be at the vanguard of that effort. On Monday he said his nominee will ensure "we're doing everything that we can to combat the threat of climate change." For that reason she will likely face tough questions from Republican lawmakers who believe the EPA has overstepped its authority and issued rules that have hurt the economy. While McCarthy has the respect of environmental groups, she also has a reputation for working well with utilities and state regulators which bear the brunt of implementing EPA rules. That could help her confirmation. She came to Washington after serving as the top environmental regulator in Massachusetts and Connecticut under Democratic and Republican governors.

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