President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Lee Zeldin, a former congressman from New York, to serve as the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reports The Washington Post. This pivotal position will oversee efforts to reverse many of the environmental policies enacted during President Joe Biden’s tenure.
“Lee, with a very strong legal background, has been a true fighter for America First policies,” Trump announced in a statement on Monday. “He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards.”
Zeldin, 44, represented Long Island in Congress for four terms before losing the 2022 New York gubernatorial race to Democrat Kathy Hochul. Although trained as a lawyer, he has limited experience in environmental policy.
President Trump Announces @leezeldin Will Be Appointed as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. pic.twitter.com/BpU3VWowDk
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) November 11, 2024
Reacting to the announcement, Zeldin expressed enthusiasm on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator,” he wrote. “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”
Later on Monday, Zeldin appeared on Fox News’ The Story, where he shared his vision for the role with host Martha MacCallum. He emphasized the Trump administration’s commitment to rolling back regulations during its first 100 days, stating that these changes would help businesses thrive and prevent them from moving overseas.
“Businesses strive to grow, expand here and have the ability to export what they produce, as opposed to exporting their jobs,” Zeldin said. “There are regulations that the left wing of this country has been advocating through regulatory power that ends up causing businesses to go in the wrong direction.”
However, Zeldin refrained from naming specific policies he would target, instead stressing that Trump prioritizes conservation and access to clean air and water.
During his congressional tenure, Zeldin supported measures to protect the Long Island Sound from dredged sediment dumping and joined the Conservative Climate Caucus, a group advocating for Republican engagement in climate policy discussions. Despite these efforts, the League of Conservation Voters awarded him a lifetime score of 14 percent, citing his frequent opposition to environmental legislation.
While Zeldin supported tighter regulations on PFAS—also known as “forever chemicals”—in 2020, he opposed closing a Clean Water Act loophole that allows companies to release unlimited amounts of PFAS into waterways.
“A 14 percent lifetime score is not what you want from someone who could potentially be charged with protecting the air we breathe, protecting the water we drink and fighting the climate crisis,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president for government affairs at the League of Conservation Voters.
Zeldin’s environmental stance was also a focus during his gubernatorial campaign, where he criticized Hochul’s climate and energy initiatives. He advocated for overturning New York’s ban on fracking and opposed policies promoting electric vehicles and heating, labeling them as “out of touch.”
Before Zeldin’s selection, Trump’s transition team reportedly considered former EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler for the role. Wheeler had led the agency during Trump’s first term.
“This is a surprise to those of us who thought he would pick loyalists from his previous administration, several of whom were vying to be EPA administrator,” said Alex Flint, executive director of the Alliance for Market Solutions, a conservative group supporting a carbon tax.
Neither Wheeler nor Trump’s transition team commented on the decision.
