Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

In this article we are going to delve into Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, a topic of great relevance today. From its origins to its impact on today's society, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency has been the subject of debate and study by experts from various disciplines. Over the years, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency has proven to be a determining factor in people's lives, influencing their decisions, behaviors and perceptions. Through a critical and analytical look, we will try to shed light on this fascinating topic, exploring its different facets and its implications in everyday life.

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Seal of the Environmental Protection Agency
Incumbent
Lee Zeldin
since January 29, 2025
Member ofCabinet
Inaugural holderWilliam D. Ruckelshaus
Formation1970
Websitewww.epa.gov

The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is the head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and is thus responsible for enforcing the nation's Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, as well as numerous other environmental statutes. The administrator is nominated by the president of the United States and must be confirmed by a vote of the Senate.

Lee Zeldin is the current administrator of the EPA.[1]

Rank in the Cabinet

Since the Clinton administration, the EPA administrator has been accorded cabinet rank by the president. The administrator of the EPA is equivalent to the position of minister of the environment in other countries. There have been various proposals to make the EPA a full executive department.

List of administrators

  Denotes Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
No. Officeholder Term Start Term End President(s)
1
 William Ruckelshaus December 4, 1970 April 30, 1973 Richard Nixon
(1969–1974)
–
 Robert W. Fri
Acting 		April 30, 1973 September 12, 1973
2
 Russell E. Train September 12, 1973 January 20, 1977
Gerald Ford
(1974–1977)
–
 John Quarles Jr.
Acting 		January 21, 1977 March 6, 1977 Jimmy Carter
(1977–1981)
3
 Douglas M. Costle March 7, 1977 January 20, 1981
–
 Steven Jellinek
Acting 		January 21, 1981 January 25, 1981 Ronald Reagan
(1981–1989)
–
 Walter Barber Jr.
Acting 		January 25, 1981 May 19, 1981
4
 Anne Gorsuch Burford May 20, 1981 March 9, 1983
–
 Lee Verstandig
Acting 		March 10, 1983 May 17, 1983
5
 William Ruckelshaus May 18, 1983 January 4, 1985
6
 Lee M. Thomas January 4, 1985 February 8, 1985
February 8, 1985 January 20, 1989
–
 John Moore
Acting 		January 20, 1989 February 6, 1989 George H. W. Bush
(1989–1993)
7
 William K. Reilly February 6, 1989 January 20, 1993
–
 W. Michael McCabe
Acting 		January 20, 1993 January 31, 1993 Bill Clinton
(1993–2001)
8
 Carol Browner January 31, 1993 January 20, 2001
9
 Christine Todd Whitman January 31, 2001 June 27, 2003 George W. Bush
(2001–2009)
–
 Linda Fisher
Acting 		June 27, 2003 July 14, 2003
–
 Marianne Lamont Horinko
Acting 		July 14, 2003 November 5, 2003
10
 Mike Leavitt November 6, 2003 January 26, 2005
11
 Stephen L. Johnson January 26, 2005 May 2, 2005
May 2, 2005 January 20, 2009
–
 Granta Nakayama
Acting 		January 20, 2009 January 21, 2009 Barack Obama
(2009–2017)
–
 Mike Shapiro
Acting 		January 21, 2009 January 23, 2009
12
 Lisa P. Jackson January 23, 2009 February 15, 2013
–
 Bob Perciasepe
Acting 		February 15, 2013 July 18, 2013
13
 Gina McCarthy July 18, 2013 January 20, 2017
–
 Catherine McCabe
Acting 		January 20, 2017 February 17, 2017 Donald Trump
(2017–2021)
14
 Scott Pruitt February 17, 2017 July 9, 2018
15
 Andrew R. Wheeler July 9, 2018 February 28, 2019
February 28, 2019 January 20, 2021
–
 Charlotte Bertrand
Acting[a] 		January 20, 2021 January 20, 2021 Joe Biden
(2021–2025)
–
 Jane Nishida
Acting 		January 20, 2021 March 11, 2021
16
 Michael S. Regan March 11, 2021 December 31, 2024
–
 Jane Nishida
Acting 		January 1, 2025 January 20, 2025
–
 James Payne
Acting 		January 20, 2025 January 29, 2025 Donald Trump
(2025–present)
17
 Lee Zeldin January 29, 2025 present
  1. ^ Served as Acting Administrator in her capacity as Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water for a few hours following the conclusion of the term Andrew R. Wheeler at noon on January 20, 2021. President Joe Biden signed an executive order naming principal deputy assistant head of the Office of International and Tribal Affairs Jane Nishida as acting Administrator later that day.[2][3]

List of deputy administrators

Acting administrators

Acting administrators usually assume the office in the interim period between the resignation of a previous administrator and the confirmation of his or her successor, including during the transition period between two presidential administrations, before the successor has been nominated and confirmed. Acting administrators come from within the EPA and usually hold an office that is subject to Senate confirmation before becoming the acting administrator. Linda Fisher and Stephen L. Johnson had served as Deputy Administrator when they became acting administrator. Marianne Lamont Horinko was an assistant administrator at the time. They are not subject to Senate confirmation to serve as the acting administrator, though to continue to serve as a full-fledged administrator (as in the case of Lee M. Thomas or Stephen L. Johnson), they must be confirmed by the Senate.

Line of succession

The line of succession for the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is as follows:[5]

  1. Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
  2. General Counsel
  3. Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management
  4. Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
  5. Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation
  6. Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water
  7. Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
  8. Chief Financial Officer
  9. Assistant Administrator for the Office of Research and Development
  10. Assistant Administrator for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs
  11. Assistant Administrator for the Office of Administration and Resources Management
  12. Assistant Administrator for the Office of Environmental Information
  13. Regional Administrator, Region 7 (Kansas City, Kansas)
  14. Principal Deputy General Counsel
  15. Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
  16. Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 2 (New York, New York)
  17. Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 5 (Chicago, Illinois)

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency.
  • "About the Office of the Administrator". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. February 25, 2020.
  1. ^ Frazin, Rachel (January 29, 2025). "Senate confirms Zeldin to be EPA administrator". The Hill. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  2. ^ "About the Office of the Administrator". epa.gov. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Here's Who Is Leading Federal Agencies as Biden Nominees Await Confirmation". govexec.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  4. ^ Friedman, Lisa; Tabuchi, Hiroko; Davenport, Coral (January 25, 2025). "Trump Stocks E.P.A. With Oil, Gas and Chemical Lobbyists". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  5. ^ "Providing an Order of Succession Within the Environmental Protection Agency". Federal Register. August 17, 2016.