EPA Air Chief Resigns Amid Ethics Scrutiny

Bill Wehrum, the EPA official in charge of revising power plant rules and revamping vehicle emission standards, who was under scrutiny for ethics allegations, stepped down June 30, according to EPA.

Wehrum, the head for air and radiation at the agency and one of its top officials, told staff in an email he was resigning. He said he was proud of the administration’s efforts “due in part to the clear direction provided by the president and the dedication of Administrator (Andrew) Wheeler to accomplishing the Agency’s mission.”

Wheeler said while he knew Wehrum would eventually step down, the departure date “has still come too soon.” But he applauded Wehrum for finalizing last week the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) regulation, a replacement for the Obama administration’s signature climate regulation that targeted carbon emissions from power plants. The change, part of the Trump administration policy to slash regulations and raise production of fossil fuels, was a boost to coal-fired plants.

Wehrum and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have been working to finalize a massive rewrite of vehicle emissions standards to freeze fuel-efficiency requirements at 2020 levels.

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