Maxwell Bernstein | March 12, 2021

In a 66-34 vote, the Senate confirmed Michael Regan, North Carolina’s top environmental leader, to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) according to Politico. Regan is the first Black man to head the EPA and the second African American person to manage this organization since Lisa P. Jackson, President Obama’s pick for the EPA in 2008.

According to Iowa Environmental Focus, the Biden administration vowed to eliminate fossil fuel from the power grid by 2035 and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, which Regan will push these efforts. The administration promised to address environmental justice by protecting poor and minority communities who are more exposed to pollution than wealthier communities.

In the Senate, 16 Republicans joined all 50 Democrats in Regan’s confirmation.