Tag: Andrew Wheeler

EPA chief’s former lobbying clients are getting a long list of favors from agency

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At least three former lobbying clients of Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler have received favorable decisions from the EPA under his leadership.

Wheeler spent years as an energy lobbyist at the law firm Faegre Baker Daniels, where he represented companies like the coal giant Murray Energy, whose owner Robert Murray is a major Trump donor. Wheeler signed a pledge in May 2018 to recuse himself from matters related to former clients after he replaced embattled former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt. But the two-year pledge expired earlier this year and he has been repeatedly accused of violating the agreement by approving rules that he lobbied for as a lobbyist for Murray Energy and others.

At least three of Wheeler’s former clients have pushed for rules that the EPA has proposed or implemented under his leadership. Continue reading.

Ignoring historic floods, EPA’s Wheeler says climate impacts are ’50 to 75 years out’

Meanwhile, Nebraska, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe are all underwater.

In his first televised interview since being confirmed as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Andrew Wheeler said, “most of the threats from climate change are 50 to 75 years out.” However, major scientific reports, coupled with the rise in catastrophic fires, floods, and heatwaves around the world, contradict this statement.

In fact, the very first line of the government’s own National Climate Assessment states, “The impacts of climate change are already being felt in communities across the country.”

It’s unclear to what extent Wheeler has read the assessment; during his confirmation hearing in January, he told lawmakers he was still waiting for additional briefings. He has also made similar statements in the past, stating climate change “is not the greatest crisis.”

View the complete March 20 article by Kyla Mandel on the ThinkProgress website here.

Senate confirms Wheeler to lead EPA

The Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Andrew Wheeler as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a 52-47 mostly party-line vote.

Every Democrat voted against Wheeler, while Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) was the only Republican to vote against him.

Collins in a statement Wednesday said she would not vote for Wheeler, a former energy lobbyist, because of his track record backing policies that weaken rules protecting air pollution and lowering car emissions.

View the complete February 28 article by Miranda Green on The Hill website here.

Wheeler Would Be A Disaster As Head Of The EPA

As the Senate holds a confirmation hearing today for Andrew Wheeler to be Trump’s next EPA administrator, here’s a look at some of the many ways he would be a disaster as head of the agency:

Wheeler once served as the right-hand man to Washington’s most prominent climate denier.

New York Times: “Mr. Wheeler has worked in Washington for more than 20 years. He is a former chief of staff to Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, the conservative Republican who has become known as Washington’s most prominent denialist of the established science of human-caused climate change.”

Wheeler is a former coal lobbyist who built his career around regulatory rollbacks that benefit the fossil fuel industry.

New York Times: “His career was built around quietly and incrementally advancing the interests of the fossil-fuel industry, chiefly by weakening or delaying federal regulations. Mr. Wheeler has worked in Washington for more than 20 years.” Continue reading “Wheeler Would Be A Disaster As Head Of The EPA”

Trump to nominate former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler as next EPA administrator

President Trump said he plans to nominate Andrew Wheeler, acting head of the Environmental Protection Agency, to be the EPA’s Senate-confirmed administrator.

Trump made the announcement Friday during a White House ceremony for Medal of Freedom recipients.

He said Wheeler “is going to be made permanent,” adding that “he’s done a fantastic job and I want to congratulate him.”

View the complete November 16 article by Timothy Cama on The Hill website here.

Despite his assurances, Wheeler met with former clients

The following article by Corbin Hiar was posted on the E&E News website July 26, 2018:

Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler in his office at agency headquarters earlier this month. Credit: Patrick G. Ryan

Since Andrew Wheeler was sworn as EPA’s second in command on April 20, the lobbying veteran has had at least three meetings with former clients that may have violated the Trump administration’s ethics pledge and other promises he made to steer clear of potential conflicts of interest.

Wheeler — who became acting administrator after Scott Pruitt’s July 6 resignation — has also attended other events that prominently included the head of a company he is currently prohibited from getting involved with, according to an E&E News review of public documents.

The string of ethically questionable encounters stand in stark contrast to the acting EPA chief’s claims that he is taking pains to avoid helping his former clients advance their interests.

View the complete article here.