There was an official change at the top the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 9 when Washington, D.C., insider Andrew Wheeler took over for Scott Pruitt as chief administrator.
But don’t expect much change in policy as Wheeler is expected to continue to push President Donald Trump’s EPA agenda, which is primarily eliminating Obama-era policies and rolling back regulations. There is one caveat and that is most analysts expect Wheeler to be far more effective than his predecessor because of his political savvy, having worked on Capitol Hill and as a coal lobbyist for years.
Wheeler, 53, was appointed as the acting chief administrator of the EPA on the same day Pruitt resigned, July 5.
UPDATE - EPA's Acting Head Vows To Carry Out Trump's Regulation Cuts
“Andy Wheeler will be a source of steady leadership for the agency,” said Scott Segal, a partner at Bracewell LLP, who leads the firm’s energy and environmental practice. “He will undoubtedly keep EPA on track to meet the White House expectations for defendable and effective regulatory reform.”
FTI Consulting’s managing director, Matt Dempsey, agrees. Dempsey and Wheeler began working together back in 2003 as aides for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Their paths have continued to cross over the years.
“One of the key components of what he is going to do at the EPA is Andrew is somebody who has the respect of Republicans and Democrats,” Dempsey told Hart Energy. “He is a policy wonk and he is somebody who has the respect of those in Washington, D.C.
“Andrew is a well-respected policy wonk that has the ability to work with folks and will help drive a similar agenda to what Scott Pruitt was doing at the EPA.”
That means Wheeler will continue to push Trump’s agenda of scaling back environmental policies aimed at keeping the air clean and slowing down global warming.
In his year-and-a-half on the job, Pruitt played a key role in repealing the Clean Power Plan and suspending the Clean Water Rule. In addition, he was influential in the push to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord. Pruitt had also began to take steps to reverse more strict vehicle emissions standards that were to take effect in 2022 before he suddenly resigned on July 5.
Wheeler, who was just confirmed by the Senate as the deputy director of the EPA in April, isn’t expected to deviate much from the course that has already been set by Pruitt.
In fact, most insiders believe his understanding of politics after having worked on Capitol Hill, spent time on the staffs of the George W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations and then later in the private sector as a lobbyist may make pushing Trump’s EPA agenda much smoother. Pruitt was considered an outsider who sometimes rubbed politicians the wrong way on both sides of the aisle.
Pruitt came under fire because of numerous ethical breaches.
Segal said a major difference in Pruitt and Wheeler is their background and the paths that led both to the EPA. Wheeler is a substantive policy expert, where Pruitt is an elected official.
“To my knowledge, Andy isn’t seeking elected office, so it stands to reason that his focus will be more on the details of policy development, less on perceptions,” Segal said. “From the beginning of his term as deputy administrator back in May, he has been interested in meeting with career and political staff at the agency.
“He has checked in with program offices and the EPA regions. I think he has impressed critics as someone who knows the substance and who is open-minded enough to hear all sides on complicated issues,” Segal continued.
There is a belief that Wheeler could appeal to Democrats more than Pruitt. But his recent track record doesn’t appear to support that belief.
Wheeler was taken to task during his Senate confirmation hearings in April because of his wavering stance on whether or not man plays a part in climate change or global warming. Wheeler has said in the past that he believes man plays a role in climate change but that that isn’t the total story.
Wheeler was confirmed in the Senate as the EPA No.2 in April by a vote of 53-45 with only four Democrats from coal-producing states breaking ranks.
“People who know Andrew, like Andrew even if you are on the opposite side of him from a policy perspective,” Dempsey said. “There is no question there is going to be some activist from the fringe activist side who don’t know Andrew and are going to oppose anyone in the Trump administration. That’s fine. That’s their right.
“But I would suggest there is more bipartisan support inside Washington and the stakeholder community for Andrew than they would let on.”
Terrance Harris can be reached at tharris@hartenergy.com
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