President Joe Biden has nominated a new chief administrator to step in for the Environmental Protection Agency.

CNN reports that Michael Regan has been picked through a bipartisan confirmation vote of 66 to 34 for the role that will take aggressive action toward tackling America’s climate crisis. Thus, making him the first Black man and 16th administrator in the agency’s 50-year history to lead in such a capacity.

According to the Washington Post, Lisa Jackson became the EPA’s first Black administrator during the years of former President Barack Obama’s term in office. Regan now follows in her footsteps bringing with him 20 years of experience working in the environmental protection sector.

The seasoned environmental advocate, leader, and HBCU grad previously held the post spot of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality. He also led the Environmental Defense Fund’s efforts to fight against the impact of the climate crisis and air pollution, according to the state’s government website.

Additionally, Regan also worked under the EPA during the Clinton and Bush administrations. Now he’s returning to play a major role in the Biden administration’s climate efforts.

“I knew I wanted to find a way to serve, and that led to my first summer internship at EPA. I spent nearly ten years at EPA under presidents of both parties,” Regan told the Senate panel as reported by CNN. “It’s an honor of a lifetime to be invited back.”

Regan has showed what kind of initiative he plans to take in his new role to help transform the agency and lead it in a new direction. He addressed the climate crisis during his Senate nomination hearing in February, pledging to “move with a sense of urgency.”

“Our priorities for the environment are clear: we will restore the role of science and transparency at EPA,” he stated. “We will support the dedicated and talented career officials. We will move with a sense of urgency on climate change, and we will stand up for environmental justice and equity.”

According to the Washington Post, he also shared that, “We all have a stake in the health of our environment, the strength of our economy, the well-being of our communities, and the legacy we will leave the next generation in the form of our nation’s natural resources.”

Face2Face Africa reports that President Biden has been very vocal about making America and the world more eco-friendly by reducing the country’s gas emissions.

As the new EPA chief, Regan is also dedicated to his mission of focusing on restoring minority and poor communities severely affected by pollution.

Regan has been a huge help at the North Carolina agency, leading the biggest coal ash clean-up in the country after a settlement with Duke Energy, Face2Face Africa shares. Officials are now thrilled to see what he’ll do next to help the country at-large fix its environmental issues.

“We’re excited to watch him do for the EPA what he did for North Carolina,” Dan Crawford — director of governmental relations at the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters — said in a statement this Wednesday. “Put people and policy over politics, and work with scientists, stakeholders, lawmakers of both parties, and above all, the most impacted communities, to protect all Americans from polluters and climate change.”

Michael Regan

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