Environment America is the new home of U.S. PIRG’s environmental work.
WASHINGTON,
D.C.—The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today voted 10-8
along party lines to confirm William Wehrum as Assistant Administrator
for Air & Radiation at EPA, despite his clear record of working to
weaken clean air protections at EPA and as a former lawyer representing
electric utilities and other industries regulated under the Clean Air
Act. In a surprise move, Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) voted with his
Republican colleagues to confirm Mr. Wehrum; Senator Jim Jeffords (VT)
joined the committee’s seven Democrats in opposing the nomination.
“It’s
very disappointing to see someone who has worked to dismantle clean air
protections this close to being the nation’s top government official
responsible for implementing the Clean Air Act. Given Mr. Wehrum’s
record as the architect of two of the most significant environmental
rollbacks of the Bush administration and numerous other actions, he is
not fit for this job,” said U.S. PIRG Clean Air Advocate Emily Figdor.
Air
pollution remains a serious problem across the country. 152 million
Americans – 52 percent of the U.S. population – live in counties with
unsafe levels of air pollution. Air pollution causes numerous health
problems, including asthma attacks, heart attacks, and other
respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and cuts short the lives of
tens of thousands of Americans each year.
Mr.
Wehrum was the main architect of the Bush administration’s mercury and
New Source Review (NSR) rules, including the 2003 NSR rule recently
stuck down in a unanimous, sharply worded decision of the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia. Earlier this month, Mr. Wehrum
recommended major changes to the way that EPA establishes National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) that would marginalize the role
of EPA staff scientists and independent science advisors and
consolidate power in the hands of EPA political appointees. The NAAQS
are the backbone of the nation’s work to improve air quality.
“We’re
particularly disappointed that Senator Chafee voted to approve someone
who has worked to undercut clean air protections. We commend the
senators who voted against Mr. Wehrum today in order to protect the
nation’s air quality, public health, and environment. We urge the full
Senate to reject his confirmation,” concluded Figdor
