Virginia's Youngkin taps former coal lobbyist for top environmental job

[Nevilledog]

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https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2022/01/donald-trump-epa-coal-lobbyist-andrew-wheeler-virginia-secretary-natural-resources-virginia-youngkin/

Incoming Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has chosen Andrew Wheeler, the controversial Donald Trump-era Environmental Protection Agency chief and former coal lobbyist, to serve as his secretary of natural resources.

In a statement announcing the Cabinet pick, Youngkin said Wheeler shares his vision for “finding new ways to innovate and use our natural resources to provide Virginia with a stable, dependable and growing power supply that will meet Virginia’s power demands without passing the costs on to the consumer.”

“Virginia needs a diverse energy portfolio in place to fuel our economic growth, continued preservation of our natural resources, and a comprehensive plan to tackle rising sea levels,” Youngkin said.

Wheeler was a key figure in the Trump administration’s deregulatory agenda, rolling back numerous environmental rules to the benefit of polluting industries, and has a long history of downplaying the threat of climate change. Shortly after being confirmed as head of the EPA in 2019, for example, Wheeler falsely claimed that “most of the threats from climate change are 50 to 75 years out.”

*snip*


Way to go Virginia

[FloridaBlues]

1. People might start to regret not voting in Virginia.

[brooklynite]

2. Elections have consequences.....

FWIW - I don't think the average voter in Virginia cares significantly about coal and environmental policies. They care about education and the economy, which were issues McAuliffe didn't tap into.

[crickets]

3. Ray of hope:

It remains to be seen if Wheeler’s nomination can survive the confirmation process. Democrats hold a 21-19 majority in Virginia’s state Senate.

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