EPA Administrator Says Agency Will Continue Pushing its Agenda

Work to implement an environmental agenda focused on combatting climate change, environmental justice, farmworker protection and lead and copper drinking water rules will continue through the end of the Obama Administration, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy told the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

EPA will continue to fight litigation aimed at stopping its Clean Power Plan and Waters of the U.S. rule, McCarthy said, noting that questions about the outcome “keep me up at night.” She reiterated her resolve to advance climate change and other aspects of the EPA agenda, saying “anything [we] can do in the next 10 months, we’re going to do it.” While saying EPA will adhere to the Supreme Court stay on Clean Power Plan implementation, McCarthy made it clear that the agency will still pursue actions on climate change.

A question about farmworker protections standard for pesticides was posed to McCarthy, regarding the possible formation of a taskforce to follow up implementation of the standard. McCarthy said that she believed forming a taskforce is a “great idea.”

Civil rights issues were also raised and McCarthy said that EPA is committed to a revamp of how its civil rights division operates.