Andrew Wheeler is a former coal lobbyist and the second EPA administrator to be appointed by Donald Trump after the resignation of the first, Scott Pruitt. Wheeler was appointed acting administrator in July 2018 and was confirmed by the senate in February 2019. He is known for overseeing the aggressive rollback of over one hundred environmental rules and regulations by the Trump administration.
Wheeler on Climate Change
While Wheeler does believe in “…climate change and man has an impact on climate change,” he also stated shortly after being confirmed to his current position; “I don’t see [climate change] as an existential threat.” He has overseen sweeping rollbacks of environmental regulations, including ones related to climate change such as regulations on methane leaks and the Clean Power Plan put in place by the Obama administration. Wheeler has also rejected the findings of reports on climate change published by his own agency and other departments of the federal government including the National Climate Assessment Report released in 2018. He has also been critical of the Green New Deal and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Associates:
Wheeler began his career in government working for Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK.) and has represented the late owner of Murray Energy, Robert E. Murray, during his time as a lobbyist where he lobbied against the Obama administrations climate regulations. Wheeler also has President Donald Trump’s support for enforcing his aggressive deregulatory agenda.
Climate of Denial