Washington, DC – After months of delay, today the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Gina McCarthy to be the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by a vote of 59 to 40. McCarthy will succeed Lisa Jackson, who headed EPA during Obama’s first term. EPA oversees numerous programs regulating toxic chemicals.
Andy Igrejas, Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families said:
“We congratulate Ms. McCarthy on today’s Senate vote and look forward to her taking the helm at EPA during this critical period. Lisa Jackson often said it was vital we fix our broken toxics laws, and Administrator McCarthy will have a rare chance to help make that vision real.
As the Congress takes its most serious look at our chemical safety laws in generations, we urge Ms. McCarthy to leverage the power of her office to fulfill its promise to protect Americans from hidden dangers in the chemicals we buy and use.”
