Outgoing California Air Regulator Could Become New EPA Administrator

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Sacramento, CA — A California government official is on a shortlist for a notable role in the Biden administration.

Mary Nichols will soon leave her role as the chairwoman of the California Air Resources Control Board, and the Associated Press indicates that she is a leading candidate to serve as the Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency.

The AP adds that Nichols has the support of some environmental groups and former EPA officials. She has been critic of actions taken by President Trump’s administration on climate.

However, she could face opposition from Republicans in the US Senate, from which she would have to receive confirmation.

Nichols was first appointed to the California Air Resources Control Board in 1975 by former Governor Jerry Brown. She later left to work for the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Clinton Administration. She also served as California’s Secretary of Natural Resources under Gray Davis. In 2007, she was reappointed to CARB by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.