Appointee Update: January 15, Lee Zeldin and Doug Burgum
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Lee Zeldin is a New York bar-certified United States Army veteran who served several terms in the Senate of New York and one term in the United States House of Representatives. His congressional record is weak on environmental policies. For example, in Congress, Zeldin voted against Biden’s 2022 climate law, along with every other House Republican. He was among the majority of House Republicans who also voted against the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, which contained EPA funding for clean school buses, cleanup of toxic brownfields sites, and funding to replace lead pipes and service lines around the country. There is anticipation that he will be nominated on partisan lines.
Impact on the environment and PA
If confirmed, Lee Zeldin has stated that he intends to “unleash economic prosperity” and pursue “energy dominance” through the agency; like many Republican lawmakers, he has prioritized the economy over the environment in his rhetoric. He has held a pro-fracking stance that he will likely maintain throughout the next four years. Interesting,. waste and recycling groups have remained neutral on Zeldin’s nomination, while environmental advocacy groups have expressed disdain.
Fossil fuels producers are looking forward to potential regulations and costs to be rolled back. Oil producers in Appalachia could benefit if the Trump Administration’s EPA enforces quicker federal pipeline approvals and drops the penalty of $900 per metric ton of emissions above a certain threshold for large oil and gas facilities. While the EPA can influence the speed of projects, most regulations governing Pennsylvania's oil and gas development are decided at the state (environmental) and local (zoning) levels.
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Doug Burgum is a software technology entrepreneur and the current Governor of North Dakota with connections to the oil and gas industry. Burgum has been a consistent Trump supporter, even as he is less dismissive of climate change than the president-elect. Burgum has a solid reputation with the Native American communities in North Dakota, as he’s credited with fostering new and strengthening existing relationships between the state and tribes, and he could lean on this experience during this term. He has pushed the “energy dominance” campaign throughout his tenure in public office, aligning with Trump’s priorities. If confirmed, he will oversee the management of public lands and minerals, national parks, and wildlife refuges and uphold federal responsibilities to Indigenous people.
Impact on Pennsylvania:
The Department of the Interior significantly impacts PA with our diverse natural resources, national historic sites, and public lands. There is anticipation that Burgum, with his strong support for the coal and mining sector, will direct his department to loosen regulations on drilling. In addition, DOI will stop funding many of the initiatives that support waterway protection and climate resiliency
Contributors:
Julie Platt & Brooke Wilford