Regan will Restore Science, Integrity, and Justice to the Environmental Protection Agency

(WASHINGTON) Multiple outlets are now reporting that President-Elect Joe Biden has selected Michael Regan, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, as his nominee for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Michael Regan is exactly the kind of person we need at the top of the EPA, he cares deeply about people and the environment and will work with anyone to solve a problem,” said David Yarnold, president and CEO of the National Audubon Society. “He is the kind of leader we need to get our country on track to address the threat of climate change, the increasing biodiversity crisis that includes the loss of 3 billion birds, and the massive inequities in how we protect communities from pollution and environmental degradation. I am certain that birds, wildlife, and all of us are going to be healthier and safer when he is confirmed as EPA administrator.”  

Regan comes with more than two decades of environmental experience, having served in a career position at EPA for almost 10 years during both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. In 2017 he was appointed to run North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality where he has worked to address pollution, climate change and environmental justice issues across the state.

“Secretary Regan understands the monumental challenges we face from our changing climate and knows how to work across communities and across the aisle to get things done,” said Andrew Hutson, Audubon North Carolina executive director and National Audubon Society vice president. “He spearheaded North Carolina’s Clean Energy Plan, laying the groundwork for a cleaner and more resilient future in our state, and is a tireless champion for clean air and water. He’s an outstanding leader, dedicated public servant and more than qualified to lead our country’s top environmental agency. We’re sad to see him leave North Carolina, but our loss is the nation’s gain.”

###

MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Smelser, matt.smelser@audubon.org, 512.739.9635

About Audubon

The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

Audubon North Carolina, a state program of the National Audubon Society, has offices in Durham, Boone, Corolla, and Wilmington. Learn more at www.nc.audubon.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.