Even though California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols has implemented some of the nation's most aggressive climate policies and been a leading opponent of the Trump administration's environmental regulatory rollbacks, liberal critics are opposed to her as a front-runner to lead Joe Biden's Environmental Protection Agency, the Washington Examiner reported on Wednesday.
The critics say she has ignored the concerns of minorities and lower-income people, who suffer the worst consequences of toxic air pollution.
Environmental groups and activists who have concentrated their efforts on cleaning up the most polluted regions in the state say she has repeatedly ignored their advice and pursued policies that permit fossil fuel facilities to continue emitting.
They say this track record is not in line with Biden's commitment to address pollution in minority and lower-income areas.
The California Environmental Justice Alliance and Friends of the Earth are organizing a letter they intend to send to the Biden transition team this week objecting to her for the position.
In addition, Black employees of the California Air Resources Board sent a letter in September raising concerns about experiencing racism at work.
Despite these objections, Nichols, however, is seen as a favorite for the EPA administrator post, given her experience managing California's climate programs.
NPR said she spearheaded a number of climate firsts in her position, such as the first cap on carbon emissions from power plants and industry, which could serve as a model for the Biden administration.
But the Examiner reported that environmental activists take issue with her cap-and-trade program, saying it permitted local pollution to increase because facilities have been able to avoid emissions cuts by buying carbon credits or offsets.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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