President-elect Donald Trump has picked former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to head the Environmental Protection Agency during the next administration.
Zeldin confirmed he accepted the offer on Monday in a post to X, saying it was an “honor” to join Trump’s incoming cabinet.
“We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI,” Zeldin wrote. “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”
In a separate statement, Trump said he offered the former congressman the role, describing the Republican as a “true fighter for America First policies.”
Trump indicated that new EPA leadership will prioritize rolling back EPA rules from the Biden administration, saying Zeldin, if confirmed, will “ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.”
As of Monday, the U.S. ranks 16th on the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy’s Environmental Performance Index for air quality, and 26th for sanitation and drinking water.
Trump said Zeldin “will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.”
Throughout his campaign, Trump promised to walk-back key climate-related rules issued by the EPA this year, including its controversial power plant pollution rule.
The rule, which went into effect on July 8, targets carbon pollution from power plants for the purpose of limiting greenhouse gas emissions. It orders existing coal plants and new natural gas-fired plants to reduce their emissions by 2032 by implementing carbon capture and storage technologies. For months, the rule has been contested by dozens of Republican-led states. Trump has previously called the rule a “disaster” for the U.S.
Zeldin will need to be confirmed by the Senate before ascending to the top of the EPA. But with Republicans set to control the chamber, the new Trump administration will likely face few hurdles in the process.
Monday’s announcement came as a surprise to many, as Zeldin had not previously been floated as a top contender for the position leading up to the election.
Previously, former Trump administration officials and conservative allies suspected that Andrew Wheeler, who lead the agency from 2019 to 2021 would once again be tapped to serve. Other suspected candidates were former EPA official Mandy Gunasekara, ex-EPA regional administrator for Texas Anne Austin, and former Trump ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum had also been floated as a possible pick for Trump’s “energy czar.”
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Before being offered the position of EPA administrator, Zeldin represented the the first congressional district of New York from 2015 to 2023. His time in Congress ended when he ran for governor in 2022. Zeldin was beat by Democrat Kathy Hochul.
If confirmed, Zeldin will serve in Trump’s cabinet alongside Rep Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who has been selected as Trump’s UN ambassador.