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In some ways, Andrew Wheeler – former career officer of the Environmental Protection Agency, Republican senate councilor, energy lobbyist – could hardly be more different than the # He replaces the head of the EPA
Wheeler has spent much of his life working behind the scenes of energy and environmental law . Pruitt spent much of his tenure at the agency traveling around the country, speaking to groups of industry leaders and praising President Trump. As an Assistant Administrator of the EPA, Wheeler spent most of his short time meeting with career employees and addressing the political weeds at the agency's headquarters [19659003]. movement, and realize Trump's promises of a more effective and less powerful EPA. A day after the president called for Pruitt 's resignation amidst a series of ethics scandals, the EPA' s new interim administrator spoke with the Washington Post on this issue. who would follow. The interview was edited for length and clarity:
Washington Post: How did you feel as an administrator in these circumstances? And what is the message you give to employees who have gone through a tumultuous time?
Andrew Wheeler: I sent a statement to all employees last night. First, thank the administrator for his service and then tell everyone that everything works as usual – we all work together and share the main mission of the agency, which is to protect the health public and the environment.
: Can you tell us a little more about what you will do to pursue the policies implemented by Scott Pruitt? As you can imagine, Democrats and environmentalists argue that you are an even more qualified deregulator.
Wheeler: A more skilled deregulator?
WP: Do you reject this notion? 19659009] Wheeler: I do not have this notion. I'll have to think about it. In fact, I saw a lot of things about me on paper the last day or two. But I would say that the program of the agency was established by President Trump. And Pruitt Administrator has been working to implement this. I will try to work on the implementation of the President's program. I do not think the general program will change as much, because we are implementing what the president has planned for the agency. He has made several campaign promises that we are working on here. But there will probably be a bit of a difference in how Pruitt and I will talk about some issues. There have already been some differences in the way I have talked to EPA employees since I was here.
You know, I had the benefit of having the longest confirmation process for a deputy administrator in the EPA's history. I had time to think about what I wanted to do as a member of Parliament. I have carefully considered the main criticisms that the agency has received over the past 20 years. What can be changed? What can we fix? What can be put in a different direction? And how does all this fit into cooperative federalism, return to the rule of law and return to the foundations of the agency?
Since I have been here, I speak of career employee groups. I went to three of our regions, and I visited our Research Triangle Park Lab in North Carolina. I've talked about what I want to try to accomplish on behalf of the administration, on behalf of the president. I really think we need to provide more certainty to the American public. And I look at certainty in three different areas. The first is certainty about permits. The second is the certainty of the measures of execution. And the third – the one that is most important to me – is the certainty about risk communication
WP: As you know, one of Mr. Pruitt's critics was a lack of transparency in his meetings. and what he was doing with his time at the agency. Do you plan to put in place more transparent mechanisms so that the public is aware of the work that is being done?
Wheeler: I will not criticize my predecessor in any way. But I will answer by saying this: I dented myself as a career employee at the EPA in the early 1990s, working on the Community's Right to Know Act. And I believe that my time on the Hill and in the legislation on which I worked – how I dealt with all the laws, how I dealt with all the laws – was that the more we give away Information to the American public, the more transparency we have, the better it is. our decisions will be. The more we are open, the better it is for everyone
That's how I got my teeth right in the environment. This is part of my main beliefs in the agency and how I see environmental issues. The more transparent we are, the better we will make our decisions
WP: On climate change, it is a key issue. As a personnel manager, one of the things you did with [Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James M.] Inhofe was, while he was talking a lot about questioning climate science, you expanded what he said to include things like the economic costs of these regulations. Can you talk a bit about how you see your approach to climate, as well as science, including the changes we've seen at the Scientific Advisory Board?
Wheeler: Of course. There are some questions that are included. You are right, when I went to the Senate, I became more focused on the costs of the climate debate – the cost benefits and the different aspects of the law.
I did my undergraduate degree in biology. I do not consider myself a scientist, and have always reported to career scientists on science issues. I have done so in the two and a half months that I have spent here, and I will continue to do so. With respect to the Science Advisory Board, I think it's important to be very transparent and I think it's important to make sure that the members of the science advisory boards do not are not in conflict of interest.
The Science Advisory Board has been reconfigured. . . I understand the desire to ensure that board members do not benefit from the scientific grants of the agency either. I think it's important to make sure that there are no conflicts of interest. I hope you have seen my statement of challenge in which I have not requested a waiver, and I do not plan to seek waiver. I think it is important to make sure that we treat conflicts of interest very openly and openly.
WP: Can you summarize your position on climate change and, more importantly, on the role of the EPA in dealing with this problem? ] Wheeler: I believe that climate change is real. I think people have an impact on the climate. What is most important – and I'm glad you asked – is that the second part of your question is: what is the role of the EPA?
I think our role is to follow the statutes that are provided to us by Congress. . And I think the statutory guidelines are very small. My criticism of the Obama Administration's clean energy plan was that it was outside the four corners of the Clean Air Act. And I think that the fact that the Supreme Court made the unprecedented decision to stay showed that the law probably would not have stood up in the courts. So I think that, as part of the clean energy plan replacement, we will look carefully at what the law says and the powers that the act gives us, and we will come up with a proposal that will follow.
I know that a number of senators would like us to go much further, but, of course, environmental organizations would like us to go much further. But you will not see the EPA, at least under my direction, do a lot as you go. We will follow the law that Congress has given us.
WP: To continue on this subject, do you consider that, for example, the "finding of endangerment" [that created the basis for regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant] is an established law? Or would you say that there is also an open question as to whether this is a correct interpretation of the Clean Air Act?
Wheeler: Regarding endangerment, I criticized the method used by the agency. with the finding of endangerment, that they did not make an independent analysis, that they relied on [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]. And that was challenged, it was brought before the US Circuit Court, and the circuit court upheld the EPA's position. So, I consider that it is an established law. There should be a major and compelling reason to try to reopen that.
WP: Before coming to the EPA in the last few years, you have worked as a lobbyist for some of the industries that you will now be tasked with regulating. How will you approach the regulation of these industries, many of which are heavily invested in what comes out of the EPA?
Wheeler: You are right, I have worked for a number of different industries, a number of different companies. I have not been lobbying the EPA for at least the last two years. In fact, our communications team tried to urge me to remember how long I've been lobbying the EPA, and I do not remember anymore. It's been at least three or four years, maybe more. The only EPA problem that I 've actually lobbied in recent years was the Energy Star program, and it was on behalf of a customer who was struggling to maintain integrity. EPA program. It was to defeat a Republican Senate amendment that wanted to remove third-party certification.
So, anybody could take a look at one of my clients and say, "Well, you could be biased that way. I have had a career working on multiple domains and on many different aspects of problems. Having started my career at the EPA, having worked on the Hill for two different members who were not in agreement on all subjects, and who were then working in private practice, where I I have worked for different clients – I do not think so
I certainly have no fiduciary arrangement with any of my former clients or my former law firm. I do not benefit financially from anything like that. And I think there's been enough distance on the EPA issues that I've worked on in the past, where I do not think I'm biased to a problem. way or another on these issues. But I think that the experience that I had as a consultant, working on the hill, working as a career employee of the agency, really prepared me for this work to this stage of my life.
WP: For someone who is so often described as low profile, this does not seem like the kind of work you can really avoid in the spotlight. How do you feel about this part?
Wheeler: I did not really look for this position to be an acting director. I was very happy to be the deputy. So. I will have to face that. But I have been in DC now for over 25 years. I realize that I am embarking on a job that will be much more visible than I would have liked. But I really think [that] that I am currently in good work,
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