"More than 150 former Environmental Protection Agency employees are urging Virginia lawmakers to oppose the nomination of the Trump administration’s EPA chief to a high-ranking environmental position.

In an open letter written to the state’s senators, the former employees asked them to oppose the impending nomination of Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, to serve as the state's Natural Resources Secretary.

“As EPA Administrator, Mr. Wheeler pursued an extremist approach, methodically weakening EPA’s ability to protect public health and the environment, instead favoring polluters,” they wrote.

“Mr. Wheeler also sidelined science at the agency, ignored both agency and outside experts, rolled back rules to cut greenhouse gasses and protect the climate, and took steps to hamstring EPA and slow efforts to set the agency back on course after he left office” they added."

Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill January 14, 2022. [2]