Booker Meets with Michael Regan, Nominee to Serve as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, met virtually with Michael Regan who has been nominated to serve as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Following their meeting, Senator Booker issued the following statement:

“Today I had the opportunity to meet virtually with Michael Regan, nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. In our meeting, we discussed the importance of recommitting the federal government’s attention to addressing climate change with the urgency it demands and overturning the Trump Administration’s numerous and dangerous environmental rollbacks.  We also discussed how Congress and the Biden Administration can work together to address the environmental injustices that have historically burdened low-income communities, communities of color, and indigenous communities and the importance of prioritizing and providing more resources for the work of the EPA Office of Civil Rights. I look forward to working with Mr. Regan and the Biden Administration to confront climate change and to cleanup legacy pollution that is causing harm in too many communities across our country.”

Michael Regan previously served as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Bringing a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of the environment, economy, and public health, Secretary Regan conceptualized and operationalized North Carolina’s Executive Order 80 — a landmark effort to address climate change’s impact and transition the state’s energy economy. Regan led the negotiations that resulted in the cleanup of the Cape Fear River, which had been contaminated with dangerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), negotiated and oversaw the largest coal ash cleanup in the United States, and created North Carolina’s first Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board to address societal disparities exacerbated by environmental issues during his tenure as Secretary.

Secretary Regan’s subject matter expertise in the realm of environmental, energy, economic, and equity issues is apparent in his lifelong record of public service. He previously served at the EPA under both Democratic and Republican presidents — leading initiatives at the agency to improve energy efficiency and air quality and mitigate pollution — and was an Associate Vice President of the Environmental Defense Fund focused on climate issues. He also founded M. Regan & Associates to help organizations navigate challenges at the intersection of energy, the economy, and the environment. Regan earned his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and his master’s degree from The George Washington University.