WASHINGTON - April 26 - The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today voted 10-8 along party lines to confirm William Wehrum as Assistant Administrator for Air & Radiation at EPA, despite his clear record of working to weaken clean air protections at EPA and as a former lawyer representing electric utilities and other industries regulated under the Clean Air Act. In a surprise move, Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) voted with his Republican colleagues to confirm Mr. Wehrum; Senator Jim Jeffords (VT) joined the committee’s seven Democrats in opposing the nomination.

“It’s very disappointing to see someone who has worked to dismantle clean air protections this close to being the nation’s top government official responsible for implementing the Clean Air Act. Given Mr. Wehrum’s record as the architect of two of the most significant environmental rollbacks of the Bush administration and numerous other actions, he is not fit for this job,” said U.S. PIRG Clean Air Advocate Emily Figdor.

Air pollution remains a serious problem across the country. 152 million Americans – 52 percent of the U.S. population – live in counties with unsafe levels of air pollution. Air pollution causes numerous health problems, including asthma attacks, heart attacks, and other respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and cuts short the lives of tens of thousands of Americans each year.

Mr. Wehrum was the main architect of the Bush administration’s mercury and New Source Review (NSR) rules, including the 2003 NSR rule recently stuck down in a unanimous, sharply worded decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Earlier this month, Mr. Wehrum recommended major changes to the way that EPA establishes National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) that would marginalize the role of EPA staff scientists and independent science advisors and consolidate power in the hands of EPA political appointees. The NAAQS are the backbone of the nation’s work to improve air quality.

“We’re particularly disappointed that Senator Chafee voted to approve someone who has worked to undercut clean air protections. We commend the senators who voted against Mr. Wehrum today in order to protect the nation’s air quality, public health, and environment. We urge the full Senate to reject his confirmation,” concluded Figdor.

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