Andrew Wheeler

Credentials

MBA, George Mason University (1999).¹
JD, Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (1990).²
BA, Case Western Reserve University (1987).³

Background

Andrew R. Wheeler, a lawyer and former coal industry lobbyist, is the 15th Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He was approved to head the EPA on February 28, 2019.⁴ ⁵

Wheeler became Acting Administrator to the EPA⁶ following Scott Pruitt’s resignation in July 2018.⁷ In February 2019, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee first approved Wheeler’s nomination to be permanent administrator of the EPA.⁸ A final senate vote of 52 to 47 solidified him in the position. Previously, he was a principal at Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting where he was co-leader of the firm’s energy and natural resource practice.⁹

In 2017, President Donald Trump first picked Wheeler for deputy chief of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Wheeler was fully confirmed on April 12, 2018 as the number two official at the Environmental Protection Agency. His confirmation happened amid ethics controversies surrounding former EPA administrator Scott Prutt.¹⁰

Wheeler was one of several former staffers of climate change denier James Inhofe to join the EPA. Prior to joining FaegreBD Consulting, Wheeler worked as majority staff director, minority staff director and chief counsel at the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for Inhofe. He worked in a similar vein at the Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, Wetlands and Nuclear Safety under the chairmanship of Inhofe and also that of George Voinovich. Before that, he worked as Inhofe’s chief counsel from 1995 to 1997.¹¹

Under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Wheeler spent four years as a staffer at the EPA‘s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics before moving on to his position at the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.¹²

Until mid-2017,¹³ Wheeler lobbied on behalf of Murray Energy, the nation’s largest privately owned coal company. Run by vocal climate change denier Robert Murray, the energy company has fought against industry regulation and climate change mitigation efforts.¹⁴ According to EcoWatch, Wheeler brought in at least $3 million in income for his firm from Murray Energy.¹⁵

Murray Energy, while Wheeler’s client, produced an “Action Plan” for the Trump Administration including complete elimination of the Clean Power Plan, overturning the endangerment finding for greenhouse gases, and eliminating tax credits for wind and solar energy. In his confirmation hearing, Wheeler admitted to having seen the plan.¹⁶

According to his profile at Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting, Wheeler “worked on every major piece of environmental and energy-related legislation over the last decade, including greenhouse gas emissions legislation, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the Clear Skies Act and the Clean Air Interstate Rule.” The consulting firm also notes that Wheeler has worked on 1998 and 2005 Highway Bill reauthorizations, the Diesel Emissions Reduction SEP Bill, and Renewable Fuel Standards. His regulatory work includes “all major fuel related issues including Refinery MACT, Gasoline sulfur, and the NSPS program.”¹⁷

“Andrew Wheeler’s nomination is very much in keeping with the Trump administration’s agenda of fossil fuel exploitation and climate inaction,” Michael Mann, a climatologist at Penn State University told HuffPost. “The environmental community’s celebration of the failed nomination of climate-change denier Kathleen Hartnett-White to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality may be short-lived.”¹⁸

Murray Energy’s Record

While Wheeler worked as a lobbyist for Murray Energy, the company was faced with a range of controversies. The company paid millions in fines for contaminating water in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania with coal slurry. For example, Murray Energy was accused of contaminating the Captina Creek in Ohio four times since 2000, paying more than $1 million in fines the Columbus Dispatch reported.¹⁹

The Crandall Canyon Mine was owned by a subsidiary of Murray Energy. The mine’s collapse in 2007 led to the death of six miners. A Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) report said the mine was “destined to fail.” MSHA itself was also faulted by its parent agency for lax oversight and its handling of the rescue effort.²⁰

Murray Energy subsidiary Genwal Resources eventually pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors for wilfully violating safety laws and was fined $500,000. Loved ones of those affected by the disaster felt the damages were not enough, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.²¹ Genwal Resources eventually reached a $1.1 million settlement with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration over the 20078 collapse, while from the beginning Bob Murray insisted that the cave-in had been triggered by a natural earthquake and that the company was not to blame.²²

Murray Energy has consistently fought against regulations focused on clean air and combatting climate change. In 2017, The New Yorker wrote that Murray Energy partnered with Scott Pruitt, signing as a co-plantiff in 14 of the lawsuits that Pruitt had filed against the EPA including one involving the Clean Power Plan.²³

“There is little doubt that one of the ‘important partnerships’ Pruitt had in mind was with Murray Energy. His current second-in-command at the E.P.A., Andrew Wheeler, was a lobbyist for the company until mid-August, and when Pruitt was attorney general of Oklahoma, Murray was a top donor to his super PAC. The C.E.O. was also a co-plaintiff in eight of the fourteen lawsuits that Pruitt brought against the E.P.A. before Trump put him in charge of the agency,” The New Yorker wrote.²⁴

Coal Club VP

While working at Faegre Baker Daniels, Andrew Wheeler served as vice president of the Washington Coal Club.²⁵ The group’s 2016 tax filing 2016 listed Wheeler as the group’s president at that time.²⁶ As of 2017 he was no longer listed. The last available internet archive of his profile at Faegre BD Consulting (April 13, 2018) listed Wheeler as the group’s vice president.²⁷

According to a LinkedIn summary by the group’s president, Rick Axthelm, The Washington Coal Club is a “District of Columbia non-profit corporation, that meets monthly with knowledgeable speakers to discuss coal and industry related topics. The Club’s membership consists of over 300 individuals with diverse interests in coal, ranging from coal producers and transporters, associations focused on coal’s role in the American economy, academics involved in coal-related research, and policy makers from both the executive and legislative branches of government.”²⁸

A 2014 information brochure listed Faegre BD Consulting as a “Gold Sponsor” of the Washington Coal Club ($1,200 annually). Other sponsors at that level included Arch Coal, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).²⁹

Lobbying

Wheeler has worked as a lobbyist for FaegreBD Consulting since 2009, where he has worked on behalf of clients including Murray Energy. Public lobbying records show that he worked for Murray from 2009 until 2017. He has lobbied both the House of Representatives and the Senate on “general energy and environmental issues.”³⁰

According to a search of public lobbying disclosures, Wheeler has had the following clients:³¹

Bear Head LNG Corporation
Celanese Corporation
Coalition for Domestic Medical Isotope Supply
Darling International Inc.
Domestic Fuel Solutions Group
*Energy Fuels Resources Inc.
Enterprises Swanco LLC
ICOR International
Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc.
KAR Holdings
Murray Energy
Nuclear Energy Institute
Sargento Foods Inc.
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Underwriters Laboratories
Whirlpool Corporation
Xcel Energy

*According to emails obtained in 2019 via Freedom of Information Act lawsuits, Wheeler used his connections to the Trump campaign to arrange a meeting between an executive from uranium mining company Energy Fuels Resources and a senior adviser to then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. Shortly thereafter, on Zinke’s recommendation, President Donald Trump reduced the boundaries of Utah’s Bears Ears national monument, freeing up more than 100 uranium claims held by Energy Fuels Resources from potential regulatory obstacles.³²

In a March 27, 2017 email to a Zinke aid, Wheeler wrote:

“I worked on energy and environmental policy for Mr. Trump during the campaign. I have a client that I would like to get before the Secretary, Energy Fuels. […] They have two uranium facilities bordering each side of Bears Ears national monument in Utah. They can come to DC at any time.”³³

Wheeler, who was employed by lobbying firm Faegre Baker Daniels at the time, attended the April 5 meeting at Interior with Energy Fuels Resources executive William Goranson, fellow FBD lobbyist Darrin Munoz, and a senior adviser to Secretary Zinke. An Interior spokesperson claimed that Zinke did not attend the meeting himself, although his schedule at the time has him unaccounted for.³⁴

Wheeler’s contacts with Interior and his attendance at the meeting were not disclosed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.³⁵

Lobbying Income (For FaegreBD Consulting, on Behalf of Murray Energy)

Via public lobbying disclosures:³⁶

Filing Date	Lobbying Issue	Income Reported
2017 (Q2)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2017 (Q1)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2016 (Q4)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2016 (Q3)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2016 (Q2)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2016 (Q1)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2015 (Q4)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2015 (Q3)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2015 (Q2)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2015 (Q1)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2014 (Q4)	General energy and environmental issues	$75,000
2014 (Q3)	General energy and environmental issues	$50,000
2014 (Q2)	General energy and environmental issues	$50,000
2014 (Q1)	General energy and environmental issues	$50,000
2013 (Q4)	General energy and environmental issues	$50,000
2013 (Q3)	General energy and environmental issues	$100,000
2013 (Q2)	General energy and environmental issues	$100,000
2013 (Q1)	General energy and environmental issues	$100,000
2012 (Q4)	General energy and environmental issues	$100,000
2012 (Q3)	General energy and environmental issues	$100,000
2012 (Q2)	General energy and environmental issues	$90,000
2012 (Q1)	General energy and environmental issues	$90,000
2011 (Q4)	General energy and environmental issues	$100,000
2011 (Q3)	General energy and environmental issues	$100,000
2011 (Q2)	General energy and environmental issues	$150,000
2011 (Q1)	General energy and environmental issues	$150,000
2010 (Q4)	Lobby on H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009	$150,000
2010 (Q3)	Lobby on H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009	$131,000
2010 (Q2)	Lobby on H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009	$139,000
2010 (Q1)	Lobby on H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009	$139,000
2009 (Q4)	Lobby on H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009	$60,000
2009 (Q3)	Lobby on H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009	$60,000
2009 (Q2)	Lobby on H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009	$40,000
Total	—	$2,924,000

Stance on Climate Change

April 11, 2019

Speaking in an interview with Reuters, Wheeler said:³⁷

“I said before I took this job that I believe in climate change and man has an impact on climate change. But I believe the number one issue facing our planet today is water. I’ve been saying that for a number of years. I said that at a climate conference at MIT back in the early 2000s. It wasn’t well received then and it’s not always well received now. But it’s the truth.”

November 8, 2017

“I believe that man has an impact on the climate, but what’s not completely understood is what the impact is,” Wheeler said during his confirmation hearing when asked about the findings of the most recent climate report.³⁸

Key Quotes

June 19, 2019

Commenting on the Trump administration’s replacement of Obama-era carbon reduction regulations with the new “Affordable Clean Energy” rule, Wheeler told the New York Times:³⁹

“I don’t know who is going to invest in a new coal fired power plant, but we’re leveling the playing field to allow that investment to occur.”⁴⁰

April 11, 2019

Speaking in an interview with Reuters, Wheeler said:⁴¹

“The previous administration focused all their energies on one issue and that was climate change. You take a look at the website that we are accused of taking all the climate change information off the website. We didn’t. It’s on there, it’s archived, but it’s on there. But that’s not the only environmental issue the world faces. I do fear that because so many people only talked about climate change, you’re right, there could very well be a new generation coming up saying that’s the only environmental issue. And it’s not.”⁴²

July 6, 2018

Wheeler said in an interview with The Washington Post:⁴³

“I’m not going to criticize my predecessor in any way. But I will answer by saying this: I cut my teeth as a career employee here at the EPA in the early 90s working on the Community Right-to-Know Act. And I believe that my time on the Hill and in the legislation I worked on — how I addressed all statutes, how I addressed all laws — was that the more information we make available to the American public, the more transparency we have, the better our decisions will be. The more open we are, the better it is for everyone.

That’s how I cut my teeth on environmental law. And that’s been part of my core beliefs in the agency and how I look at environmental issues. The more transparent we are, the better understood our decisions will be.”

October 9, 2017

In an interview, Wheeler explained how he went from criticizing Donald Trump as a “bully” to being “fully on board” with his campaign:⁴⁴

“I was just looking at the debates and what I saw on the news, and I hadn’t focused on what he was saying, and when I started looking into what he was saying and what his campaign and what his candidacy was about, I was fully on board.”⁴⁵

Referring to a May 2016 speech where Trump promised to “cancel” the Paris climate accord and undo the Waters of the United States rule, Wheeler said “A lot of my friends in the Republican energy and environment field here in D.C. were impressed with that speech.”⁴⁶

February 29, 2016

Wheeler wrote a now-deleted Facebook post skeptical of Donald Trump’s character and viability as a presidential candidate. He described Trump as a “bully” who “hasn’t been that successful,” The Washington Post reported:⁴⁷

November 15, 2016

Shortly before the November 2016 election, Wheeler wrote at Law360:⁴⁸

“No single environmental issue will be impacted by the change in administration more than climate policy.”

February 5, 2016

In a discussion at a coal industry conference, Wheeler opposed Holly Bender, deputy director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. He joined Jason Hayes, associate director of the American Coal Council:⁴⁹

“You can’t have reliable electricity, affordable, reliable electricity, without baseload generation,” Wheeler said. “What the Sierra Club proposes for wind and solar, that’s not baseload. We don’t have the battery capacity yet to deliver solar and wind as baseload generation. You end up having middle-income, lower-income families with electricity rates wildly variable.”

November 11, 2015

Following President Barack Obama’s rejection of the TransCanada Keystone pipeline application, Wheeler told Politico:⁵⁰

“The environmental organizations are going to be emboldened by this and going to go after more projects. On the industry side, they’re going to have to step it up. People are going to take [a] step back and reassess what went wrong and what they could have done differently. Anybody representing any energy or infrastructure project is going to have to take a look at the tactics. Do you politicize it more or try to take politics out of it?”

January 2011

Wheeler commented that a coalition was needed to fight against clean air regulations proposed by the EPA:⁵¹

“Up until now, EPA and the environmentalists have pretty much had the bully pulpit in terms of explaining why they think these regulations are good and necessary,” Wheeler said. “Oversight hearings that dive into the economics and the impacts of the regulations are needed to explain the negative side to the public and the rank-and-file members of Congress. They need to better understand the regulations before they start trying to pass legislation.”

March 1, 2010

In an article claiming the UN‘s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) should be investigated, Wheeler declared:⁵²

“The UN IPCC has blurred the lines between science and advocacy to the point where they are unable to separate situational awareness from proposed remedies. They have been advocating for specific policy actions and ignoring the original charter of informing the public on the state of science. […]”

March 1, 2005

In an interview with E&E News, Wheeler said:⁵³

“We don’t think a [carbon emissions] registry would be that good of a program because we don’t believe that we’ll ever be at a stage where we have a mandatory CO2 program in this country.”

March 2005

“It doesn’t really make sense to just set a new cap [on pollution from power plants] without taking away some of the regulatory burdens so that industry can pick whatever technology that they need in order to reach those reduction targets in the time we give them,” Wheeler said, E&E News reported.⁵⁴

Key Actions

December 28, 2024

Wheeler appeared on the Larry Kudlow Show where he discussed his Wall Street Journal opinion piece.⁵⁵ ⁵⁶

Below is a partial transcript of notable sections of the interview:

Andrew Wheeler: [00:03:28] California was given the authority to regulate air pollution from cars back in the 70s, mostly because of Los Angeles, the horrible air quality they have. But Congress never gave California the ability to regulate CO2 emissions for global warming. Global warming, if you consider it a problem, it’s an international problem. It is not a problem that just impacts one state.

So, California is trying to do this, and if they’re successful, there’s already five or six other states that follow their lead, you’re going to end up having the California car nationwide. So, you’re gonna end up the EV cars everywhere. So, President Trump can and should revoke the ability of California to have the waiver for CO2 emissions. Again, this is different from air pollution. If they want to control air pollution, put on new devices for cars in Los Angeles because of the air quality there, that’s a different matter, and nobody is talking about taking away that authority from California, but they should not be setting national authority for CO2 emissions from cars by requiring everything to be an EV. It just doesn’t make sense.

Larry Kudlow: [00:04:39] So, you’re writing [that] the Trump administration should revoke the California waiver on day one.

Andrew Wheeler: [00:04:46] Yes, they should start that process right away. California will sue it or go to the courts, but on day one, they should start the process of revoking the California waiver for CO2 emissions. Absolutely.

[…]

Larry Kudlow: [00:05:35] […] Aren’t we playing into China’s hands?

Andrew Wheeler: [00:05:39] Absolutely and you know the thing is the radical environmentalists that are pushing this agenda would prefer people not to have their own car. They don’t want us to have a gasoline powered or an EV. They would rather everybody take mass transportation. So that’s the radical environmentalists and the politicians have just fallen prey to that. But you’re right, we don’t have the critical minerals.

We don’ have the energy to power two-thirds of our cars through electricity. I mean, California can barely keep the lights on right now they don’t have the energy to power all their cars through electricity, and then we don’t know that infrastructure that your infrastructure for charging, recharging, across the country. You know the Biden administration had I think it was eight-and-a-half billion dollars, and they built approximately 20 charging units over the last three years.

It’s gonna take forever to get those charging stations built. We don’t have the infrastructure for that, we don’t the electricity, we don’ have the grid capacity to get the electricity where we need it. And we don’t have the critical minerals to make the batteries that would result in two thirds of our cars. We will be completely dependent upon China.

Larry Kudlow: [00:06:51] In part, you know, we don’t have the critical minerals because Biden regulations stopped drilling and excavation for critical minerals in the US. I mean, one of them is up in the Iron Range in Minnesota. I think you’ve got critical minerals in the Dakotas or in Montana. I mean it’s an odd stupid story where they’re saying on the one hand, we want everybody to have EVs, we’re gonna pay you, we’re gonna loan you money, we’re going to give you grants and cash and all the rest of it, but at the same time, we’re not going to let domestic drilling and excavation for the critical minerals. I mean, I’ve never seen anything so…it’s progressivism run stupid.

Andrew Wheeler: [00:07:37] Absolutely. And you know the fact is if we had a Democratic president for the next twelve years, they would have to go in and reopen this regulation, because it just will not work under this time frame, but because President Trump will hopefully will hopefully open… and he says that he that he will on the EV mandates, because he does that they will call it a rollback but it’s not a rollback. It’s bringing common sense to the regulatory structure.

December 25, 2024

Wheeler wrote a Wall Street Journal opinion piece titled “Trump Can Pull the Plug on EV Mandates” where he suggested that “On day one, Mr. Trump should withdraw from the emissions standards imposed by the Obama and Biden administrations and end California’s domination of U.S. climate policy.”⁵⁷

“Time is of the essence. The Trump administration should revoke the California waiver on day one and prepare for a protracted administrative and legal battle to enforce the revocation. Then, before June 2025, the administration should announce a proposed rulemaking to relax emission standards and reverse the federal EV mandate,” Wheeler wrote.⁵⁸

December 5, 2024

Quoted by E&E News, Wheeler said he would not return to the EPA as a deputy administrator, and that speculation that he was being considered for the number 2 position at EPA was inaccurate. While he said he was in contact with the transition team to answer questions, he said he had “no formal role.”⁵⁹

June 21, 2024

Wheeler gave a talk at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) headquarters’ “Competing to Win” speaker series. He spoke about the future of environmental regulations after the 2024 election.⁶⁰

Wheeler said, “As we look to and beyond November, the NAM is leading the policy debate around the importance of addressing the regulatory onslaught facing manufacturers in America,” said Wheeler. “Speaking with manufacturing leaders, it is clear that the president and Congress must prioritize comprehensive permitting reform so we can speed up vital infrastructure projects, lower costly regulatory hurdles and achieve greater American energy independence.”⁶¹

May 20, 2024

Wheeler was a guest on the Politico Energy podcast where he discussed, according to the episode notes, “what a second Trump administration would look like in terms of energy policy, why he thinks several of Biden’s climate rules aren’t likely to last, and if Wheeler is ready to take back his old job if his former boss wins the White House in November.”⁶²

Some notable quotes from the episode below:

Andrew Wheeler: [00:03:48] On the EV standards, we don’t have the electricity for that regulation. We don’t have the supply chain of materials, the essential minerals, critical minerals for the batteries. We’re dependent upon China and the Congo, where you’re looking at both forced labor and child labor to produce the materials for the batteries. So that one is just… Regardless of who is president for the next 12 years, if President Biden is reelected and a democratic successor after him and another democratic successor, that regulation is gonna have to be changed. It cannot be sustained at the levels that they put.

It’s more of an aspirational goal than a regulation. I don’t think there’s any reasonable person who’s looking at the auto sector and thinks, we’re gonna be able to have 60 some percent, two thirds of our cars, EVs by 2032. It can’t physically be done. So that’s the auto standard regulation. It’s going to have to be changed at some point. The earlier it’s changed, the better it will be for the economy and for the auto manufacturers. I mean, that is a fact, the earlier it’s changed, but it will have to changed at some point before 2032.

Josh Siegel: [00:05:01] And how about the power sector? Of course, you know, has been a lot of back and forth. And you were, you were, you know, in the seat with the ACE rule replacing clean power plan. I mean, how aggressively do you think Trump would go after Biden EPA’s version that they just put out? [00:05:15]

Andrew Wheeler: [00:05:15] Sure. So a couple of thoughts there. First of all, I think the power sector regulation is incredibly legally vulnerable. I don’t think it’s going to survive the West Virginia versus EPA case or the upcoming Loper decision that the Supreme Court should be coming out with sometime this summer. You know, all accounts. The Chevron deference case that they’re currently, they heard oral arguments back in January or February. This is the case that several of the conservative justices on the Supreme Court have been waiting for. That is, I think, custom made for justices who want to reign in or reverse Chevron. And by all reviews of the oral arguments, I think there’s at least five, maybe six justices that want to reign in to some extent the Chevron deference.

[…]

Josh Siegel: [00:08:02] Interesting. And just on the power plant rule, big theme, since that’s been released, critics, including industry and red states are attacking the carbon capture requirement in particular. I mean, is that sort of hypocritical given industry has long said carbon capture could be the solution to keep fossil fuel plants going?

Andrew Wheeler: [00:08:21] Sure. And it could be the solution, but you can’t set a regulation like the Clean Power Plan on what could be the solution. You have to look at what is available and what has been demonstrated in the marketplace. We don’t have the pipelines, and there’s a number of steps that have to take place. Yes, there is a lot of money for carbon capture storage. There was a lot of funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and Inflation Reduction Act for programs like CCS, which is great. But we also need a regulatory program for the carbon capture pipeline infrastructure. We need those regulations in place. We need that deployed, and this is, I think, another almost aspirational regulation. Now, the big shoot-a-drop will be, if Biden is reelected, the existing natural gas power plant rule.

Josh Siegel: [00:09:09] Yeah, I want to get into that one. So of course, the Biden EPA did punt on regulating existing gas plants, which is some observers say somewhat risky and could very much hinge if that ever happens on whether Biden is reelected. So do you think Trump would regulate existing gas plants? [00:09:27]

Andrew Wheeler: [00:09:28] He, I don’t… he certainly wouldn’t do it the same way that Biden has done it. He would not pick a technology like CCS that is not demonstrated for existing or new natural gas. We have to have fossil fuels for the foreseeable future. We have have it for baseload generation.

We can’t rely at this point on wind and solar for baseload generation until we’ve improved battery storage technologies, and that is improving, and there was money in both of the, the Biden pieces of legislation to put more money into research on battery storage. And that’s great, we need to. I think wind and solar are very important, but we’re not going to replace…you need on the name plate, you need so much more wind and solar to make up for the fossil fuel generation. I don’t know that that’s feasible at this point with today’s current battery storage.

[…]

Josh Siegel: [00:18:18] Have you stayed in touch with the former president since you…

Andrew Wheeler: [00:18:21] I’ve talked to him a few times.

[…]

Josh Siegel: [00:18:32] [Your friends and former colleagues] did just kind of like mention that you would probably be a natural choice for Trump to take up this job again as EP administrator. I mean, if that were to happen, I mean would you be interested? Would you consider it if you were to offer it?

Andrew Wheeler: [00:18:45] Well, I just started my current job a month ago, so I’m focused on that right now. But whenever a president or a governor asks you to do something for your country, you step up and you do it.

Josh Siegel: [00:18:56] So it’s definitely not ruling that out, because I mean, they say like, you know, he values the work you did and kind of familiarity. So I mean it’s kind of like a natural [fit].

Andrew Wheeler: [00:19:05] I had a very good working relationship with the president. I cherish that. I won’t go into the details, but, you know, on January 19th of 2021, his last full day in office, he called me about an EPA issue and we talked through that. It required some decisions on that last day. So he was, despite what you read in the press, he was still working as president on January 9th, still talking to his cabinet members about policy and decisions that needed to be made.

April 2, 2024

Wheeler joined the law firm Holland & Hart LLP as a partner and head of federal affairs in their Washington, DC office, according to the firm’s press release.⁶³

“Andrew’s vast expertise in environmental policy will be a huge asset to our energy and natural resources clients. He also brings significant experience navigating the many operational and regulatory hurdles for clients in the technology and renewable energy industries, firm chair Chris Balch said in the release.

According to its website, the firm has “supported the energy and resources sector for generations—and plays a leading role in helping clients in this dynamic industry adjust and continue to thrive.”⁶⁴

“We partner with energy and resources clients to help them develop and execute sophisticated business strategies and stay a step ahead of volatile market forces, from fluctuating oil, natural gas, minerals, and electricity prices to changing federal and state air, water, and safety regulations,” Holland & Hart notes.⁶⁵

“Environmental law is a cornerstone of Holland & Hart,” they also note, adding that “Many of our environmental attorneys have served in key policy development and enforcement roles with federal and state agencies, including the EPA.”⁶⁶

Lawyers for Holland & Hart represented the State of Utah in litigation against the EPA relating to ozone standards under the Clean Air Act.⁶⁷

“Early in the 2023 legislative session, GOP lawmakers pledged $2 million — at the request of Rocky Mountain Power, Utah’s largest electrical provider supplying most of the state — toward a legal fight against the EPA’s push to require states to reduce emissions that are contributing to unhealthy ozone levels in downwind neighboring states,” The Salt Lake Tribune reported in 2023.⁶⁸

December 12, 2022

After James Inhofe’s early retirement from the U.S. Senate in February 2022, a report by E&E News examined the large network of his former staffers, many of whom occupy influential positions in the energy industry and climate denial industry.⁶⁹

Wheeler was among those named:

“Perhaps Inhofe’s best-known former staffer is Andrew Wheeler, currently the top environmental adviser to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and formerly EPA’s administrator. He was EPW’s Republican staff director under Inhofe from 2003 to 2009.”

[…]

“‘He showed us how to stand by your principles in the face of opposition, whether it’s someone pushing back or watching activists yell at him on climate stuff and him maintaining his composure and sticking to his guns,’ said Mandy Gunasekara, who was an EPW attorney and later served under Wheeler at EPA. She now works in conservative energy advocacy and is running for a spot on Mississippi’s Public Service Commission.”

November 14, 2024

Wheeler was a panelist at a Federalist Society event titled “Environmental Law in a Post-Chevron World.” He discussed potential deregulatory priorities for the second Trump administration, and acknowledged that he was informally advising the Trump transition team.

Wheeler commented during the panel:

[14:42] But I’m looking at the incoming Trump Administration and there is a long laundry list of regulations that they… everybody is asking them to address and they’re not going to have time to do all of them. They only have four years. There’s simply not enough time to roll back every regulation that somebody wants to roll back. So there’s going to have to be a triage. They’re going to have to decide what is the most important.

President Trump, incoming, former, current, future president Trump has said that the auto standards are number one. I expect probably an EO on day one directing EPA to rewrite that regulation. The power plant regulation, you know I think the agency could wait a little bit to see what the DC circuit says before deciding what to do, and I think that’s going to apply to a lot of these regulations, and my advice has been, to the transition team, has been to triage and look to see where each of these cases are and the and in the legal time frame to figure out which ones need action first. But those two big ones in particular I think fall.

One other issue I just want to raise briefly and if we can talk about this during the Q&A.

It’s not just the regulations, and I’m looking in particular at an enforcement program that the agency is doing, the mitigating climate change enforcement initiative against the oil and gas industry. EPA does not have the authority to do a regulation here, so I really question the authority to do an enforcement action when there’s no underlying regulation.

That is certainly Loper in spirit, and I would view this, first of all, as falling away in a new Administration. This would be contrary to what we did during the Trump Administration, but I think the bootstrapping of these initiatives when there isn’t an underlying regulation is going to be more suspect. If I were advising companies who are looking at potential consent agreements and under this initiative, I would push back, particularly because of Loper and say you don’t have the authority to to move forward on this enforcement action. So I think there may be even broader implications to Loper than just what the courts are going to say on specific regulations.

May 2, 2024

Wheeler spoke at an event for the Federalist Society’s Regulatory Transparency Project. He discussed access to energy in the context of armed conflict, remarking “he that controls the energy controls the universe.”⁷⁰

Some comments from Wheeler’s presentation below:

Andrew Wheeler: [00:04:58] To paraphrase one of my favorite books, and now a movie, he that controls the energy controls the universe.

Andrew Wheeler: [00:10:01] Our oil and natural gas industry is finding more innovative ways to extract, also in a more environmentally sound manner. We have governors like Governor Glenn Younkin in Virginia who’s pushing for a nuclear moonshot with SMRs [Small Modular Reactors].

Our battery storage industry is greatly improving their capacity. We just need to also open up our critical and essential minerals reserves here in the U.S. To meet the demand. And our wind and solar technologies have greatly expanded over the last 20 years. We can, once again, become energy dominant, but we need federal policies that recognize the need.

February 2024

Wheeler spoke on a panel titled “Putting our Heads in the Gas Stove.”⁷¹ The full video was published by CPAC on Rumble.⁷² Some excerpts below:

Tim Stewart: [00:05:19] So, again, if I could continue on that, taking that nationwide, we are now in an election year. And there is this race to dump regulation after regulation after regulation on not just the oil and gas industry, but all across the board.

There is a study out there that shows, from the Institute for Energy Research, which shows that since the inauguration day of January 2021, there have been 175 different individual actions that the administration has taken to make it harder to produce oil and gas, produce energy, or to consume oil and gas in the United States. 175.

We’re all familiar with the Keystone XL pipeline decision, or the moratorium that was placed. But that’s why we find ourselves arguing over the regulation of gas stoves, for example. The question is, what do you see coming forward over the next few months, and what is the impact, and frankly, what you do about that? [00:06:13]

Andrew Wheeler: [00:06:14] And you’re right, our regulations are making it harder to produce the oil and natural gas here in the United States. And the fact of the matter is our oil and our natural gas are produced in a cleaner method than anywhere else in the world.

We have the gold standard in environmental regulations before this administration began. But their goal is not to just make things cleaner, it’s to try to shut down production here in U.S. and force us to import natural gas and oil from other countries or for our allies. We should be using our US LNG, our natural gas, to help our allies in Europe, instead of having Europe dependent on other countries. We’ve been supplying India with LNG for a number of years.

India just signed a new contract with Qatar, a long term contract, because they believe it’s more stable than our LNG industry here in the United States. So these regulations that are coming down, and they are tightening a number them, and they’re trying to tighten them before the end of this year, are going to continue to harm our production here in the U.S. and it’s going to make it harder for our American companies, the small businesses that you represent, that you own and your family has, it’s gonna make it harder for them to comply with those regulations. It’s gonna end up causing us to import more or our allies to import more from less stable countries and countries that are doing horrible things in their production to the environment.

June 30, 2022

When Virginia Governor Glen Younkin appointed Wheeler to lead the newly created Office of Regulatory Management (ORM).⁷³

This office was created by an executive order that tasked it with “oversight and implementation of a 25% reduction in regulatory requirements.” The ORM was also tasked with ensuring that new regulations must be accompanied by a “benefit-cost analysis and other impact analysis.”⁷⁴

February 8, 2022

Wheeler was nominated by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to serve as Virginia’s Natural Resources Secretary, but his nomination was blocked by the Virginia State Senate.⁷⁵

April 2019

Wheeler was interviewed by Reuters to discuss issues ranging “from climate science to automobile emissions and biofuels policies.” View the interview transcript via The New York Times.⁷⁶

Responding to the EPA‘s decision to revoke California’s ability to have its own standards on CO2 emssions, and the state’s decision to sue the EPA, Wheeler said “In my mind this is so much more about politics in the state of California than it is protecting the environment.”⁷⁷

On electric vehicles:⁷⁸

REUTERS: “Do you think that the Obama administration was trying to disfavor fossil fuels and favor EVs?”

WHEELER: “Oh absolutely. The only way you could comply ultimately with Obama numbers is to have 30 percent electric vehicles and that’s not what American consumers are buying. Right now we’re…2 percent electric vehicles. I don’t think this country is going to turn the fleet over to get to 30 percent electric vehicles by 2025. I just don’t think that’s possible. “

Wheeler responded to criticism that he has been making changes on behalf of the oil industry:⁷⁹

REUTERS: Some of the critics say, ‘Hey you’re doing this for the oil industry,’…Because oil consumption will go up.

WHEELER: I have not met with a single oil company over CAFE standards since I’ve been in this job. […] We’re not doing it for the oil industry, that’s the extent of conversations I’ve had with the oil industry on our CAFE proposals. It wasn’t immediate in my mind why they like it but this is nothing to do with the oil industry. We’re not doing it for the oil industry, I’m not doing it for the oil industry.

Reuters asked Wheeler about the record increases in CO2 emissions, and studies that found emissions would rise under proposed regulations:⁸⁰

REUTERS: “Co2 emissions have gone up by the largest amount in eight years. According to some studies, Co2 emissions would go up under your proposed ACE (Affordable Clean Energy Rule). This would suggest stronger regulation is needed. What do you define as strong regulation?”

WHEELER: “Strong regulation is legal regulation. The CPP (Clean Power Plan)… I get accused of rolling back the CPP by environmentalists and Democrats on the Hill. My simple answer to that is you can’t roll back a regulation that never went into effect. […] I believe we are on a course of getting meaningful Co2 reduction. I think that’s the responsible thing for a regulatory agency to do.”

He responded to an EPA report that found more stringent actions would be needed to address climate change:⁸¹

REUTERS: “EPA scientists recently published a report looking at the impacts of climate change across 22 sectors and said early adaption could reduce its worst impacts. Some of your scientists internally continue to believe more stringent action is needed to address climate change. You have said in a hearing that climate change is not the greatest problem facing us right now. Do you trust your internal scientists?”

WHEELER: “I trust my internal scientists. I trust my career scientists. That study is not an EPA study. We encourage our scientists, we have some of the leading scientists in the world working on a number of environmental issues. We encourage our scientists to publish. But just because our scientists publish something in a journal doesn’t mean that that’s agency policy or all the other scientists at the agency agree with that particular study. […] But I have had several briefings from our career scientists on climate change and asked questions about climate change and that informs the decisions that I make. I can’t just look at the science in a vacuum. We are not a science academy making proclamations about science. We are a regulatory agency.”

February 2019

Wheeler was approved to become the 15th Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with a final vote of 52 to 47 on February 28, 2019.⁸²

On February 5, Andrew Wheeler was initially approved to take over as permanent head of the Environmental Protection Agency pending the full Senate vote. The Senate Environment and Public Works committee approved his initial nomination 11-10.⁸³

Trump said in November that he intended to nominate Wheeler to lead the EPA, saying he had done a “fantastic job” in his interim role, The Washington Post reported.⁸⁴

One Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, voted against Wheeler’s confirmation on February 28:

“I believe that Mr. Wheeler, unlike Scott Pruitt, understands the mission of the EPA and acts in accordance with ethical standards; however, the policies he has supported as Acting Administrator are not in the best interest of our environment and public health, particularly given the threat of climate change to our nation,” Collins said in a statement.⁸⁵

Democratic senator Joe Manchin III who serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee had voted to confirm Wheeler as deputy administrator the prior year, however opposed him in 2019 given Wheelers actions:⁸⁶

“As Acting Administrator, he hasn’t demonstrated a desire or a will to make any meaningful progress on clean drinking water standards and has rolled back clean air standards that are directly impacting West Virginians,” Manchin said in a statement.⁸⁷

January 31, 2019

Wheeler appointed eight new members to the EPA‘s Science Advisory Board, including professor John Christy, who has consistently argued against the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change, and Richard Williams, a scholar at the Koch-funded Mercatus Center.⁸⁸

In making these appointments, Wheeler said:

“Members who will be appointed or reappointed include experts from a wide variety of scientific disciplines who reflect the geographic diversity needed to represent all ten EPA regions.”⁸⁹

December 27, 2018

Wheeler signed an EPA proposal that would cut federal rules regulating mercury under the Obama administration. The changes to regulations would use a cost-benefit analysis that ignores or plays down numerous health effects, The New York Times reported, while making it “much more difficult for the government to justify environmental regulations in many cases,” according to Robert N. Stavins, a professor of environmental economics at Harvard University.⁹⁰

The Obama administration had calculated that the original rule would prevent 11,000 premature deaths due to reducing particulate matter linked to respiratory and heart diseases and calculated $80 billion in health benefits per year. In contrast, the Trump administration calculated benefits of the original mercury rule at $4 million to $6 million annually and the benefit of removing the pollution controls at $7.4 billion to $9.6 billion annually.⁹¹

“We don’t answer to the utility industry,” Wheeler said. “We don’t answer to the coal industry. We answer to Congress and the courts, and the Supreme Court told us we didn’t get it right. We have to redo it. I’m going to follow the law, and I’m going to follow the Supreme Court.”⁹²

In a statement, the EPA claimed the cost of preventing mercury emissions from power plants “dwarfs” the monetary benefit and that the limits are not justified as “appropriate and necessary” under the law.⁹³ The rollback of the mercury rule was among changes specifically requested by coal baron Robert E. Murray shortly after Trump took office.⁹⁴

December 4, 2018

The EPA was sued in U.S. District Court for failing to disclose public records that would reveal if Wheeler was in contact with his former employer, a lobbying firm employed by the fossil fuel industry, while acting as EPA Administrator.⁹⁵

The lawsuit was filed in Washington D.C. by The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth, who had filed FOIA requests for the records in the Spring of 2018.⁹⁶

Faegre Baker Daniels, a law firm for whom Wheeler lobbied on behalf of the fossil fuel industry before joining the EPA, is suspected of having contact with Wheeler’s office during his tenure leading the agency. In confirmation testimony before the U.S. Senate, Wheeler pledged to avoid conflicts of interest with former business associates.⁹⁷

July 26, 2018

E&E News reported that since being sworn in April as Deputy Administrator to the EPA, working under Scott Pruitt, Wheeler had at least three meetings with former clients that “may have violated the Trump administration’s ethics pledge and other promises he made to steer clear of potential conflicts of interest.”⁹⁸

On June 26, the day before an interview with Bloomberg News where Wheeler said, “If I lobbied on something, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to participate,” he had met with former client Darling Ingredients. The client had given Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting over $1.4 million over nine years—more than any other of the firm’s clients except for Murray Energy.⁹⁹

Wheeler’s public calendar also indicated meetings with Archer Daniels Midland Co. and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, two other former clients. The Trump administration ethics pledge Wheeler signed upon taking office reads as follows:¹⁰⁰

“I will not for a period of two years from the date of my appointment participate in any particular matter involving specific parties that is directly and substantially related to my former employer or former clients.”¹⁰¹

In a statement to HuffPost, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) suggested an ethics probe should be launched to investigate.¹⁰²

“As a former coal lobbyist, and as the successor to scandal-tarred Scott Pruitt, Andrew Wheeler should know better than to break his ethics pledge,” he said. “If these reports are true, he did so repeatedly. This is a matter which the Office of Government Ethics should examine.”

April 12, 2018

Wheeler was confirmed as deputy administrator of the EPA. He was confirmed 54-45, The Washington Post reported.¹⁰³

“It is critically important that the public understand Wheeler’s career as a lobbyist for some of the worst actors in the energy industry,” Keith Gaby, a spokesman for the Environmental Defense Fund, said in an email. “Andrew Wheeler running EPA would go far beyond having an administrator overly influenced by lobbyists — the head of EPA would be an energy industry lobbyist.”

Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, sent an open letter to members of the Senate:¹⁰⁴

“Andrew Wheeler’s inherent conflicts of interest from his long history of ties to the fossil fuel industry make him an entirely inappropriate choice for EPA’s number two leadership role,” Karpinski said.

Shortly before Wheeler was confirmed, prominent climate change denier and former Trump transition team member Myron Ebell praised Trump’s choice:¹⁰⁵

“Andrew Wheeler is a great choice to be deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,” Ebell said in a statement. “He has the experience and the expertise necessary to manage the agency and to make sure that the reforms undertaken by Administrator Pruitt will be fully implemented.”

The Sierra Club released a statement strongly opposing Wheeler’s nomination.¹⁰⁶

“Wheeler was not only a key D.C. advocate for the coal industry, but also a former aide for outspoken climate-denying senator James Inhofe,” Matthew Gravatt, Sierra Club’s associate legislative director, said in a statement.

Environmental groups have worried that if Scott Pruitt, following a range of scandals, were fired or stepped down from his position as EPA Administrator, then Wheeler could prove even more destructive to environmental regulations. Politico described the possibility of Wheeler becoming EPA administrator as a paradox for environmental groups.¹⁰⁷

“Wheeler is much smarter and will try to keep his efforts under the radar in implementing Trump’s destructive agenda,” said Jeremy Symons, vice president for political affairs at the Environmental Defense Fund. “That should scare anyone who breathes.”¹⁰⁸

Another individual who has worked with Wheeler said ““He’s like Mike Pence is to Trump. … He’s behind the scenes. He’ll get a lot done and doesn’t need to be in the news.”¹⁰⁹

November 8, 2017

Andrew Wheeler appeared alongside Kathleen Hartnett-White at the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for their nomination hearing; Hartnett-White for Member of the Council on Environmental Quality and Wheeler for Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.¹¹⁰

Huffpost reported that Wheeler “appeared poised and polished at his Senate confirmation hearing” in contrast to Hartnett-White, who was “stammering over questions of basic science.”¹¹¹

“Andrew will bring extraordinary credentials to EPA that will greatly assist the Agency as we work to implement our agenda,” EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said when Wheeler was nominated in October. “He has spent his entire career working to improve environmental outcomes for Americans across the country and understands the importance of providing regularity certainty for our country.”¹¹²

During the hearing, Wheeler admitted to having seen a copy of the “action plan” that Robert Murray had provided to Trump in January to revive the coal industry. “I did not work on that [plan] or have a copy of that memo,” Wheeler said. “I saw it briefly at the beginning of year but don’t have possession of it. I looked at it.”¹¹³

May 2017

According to documents The Intercept and the watchdog group Documented obtained and reported on in 2018, Wheeler hosted campaign fundraisers for Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works senators John Barrasso and Jim Inhofe in May. FEC records show that the senators also received donations from Wheeler’s law firm’s PAC in 2017. The Intercept reported that those same senators would decide on his appointment at the EPA in 2018.¹¹⁴

March 29, 2017

Shortly after he worked for the Trump transition team, Wheeler attended a attended a meeting between Murray’s chief executive, Robert Murray, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry. Photos of the event showed Wheeler sitting just one seat away from Robert Murray at the table, with Perry listening intently.¹¹⁵

“Murray asked Perry to increase payments to coal and nuclear plants supplying electricity to the Midwest and Appalachia. Perry tried to implement such a plan, but independent electricity regulators rejected it,” The Washington Post reported.¹¹⁶

Wheeler said he attended the meeting on behalf of Murray Energy, however denied direct involvement in the DOE‘s rule creation:¹¹⁷

“I have not been involved in anything the last few months when this issue has been front and center,” he said.

As CNN reported, photographer Simon Edelman claimed he was fired from his job at the Energy Department after he released the photos.¹¹⁸

“Mr. Edelman exercised his First Amendment rights and shared some of his public domain photographs with our free press … in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights, Mr. Edelman … was unlawfully terminated from his job effective Dec. 27, 2017,” John Napier Tye, founder of Whistleblower Aid, wrote in a letter to the Energy Department’s acting inspector general.

June 2016

Wheeler attended a closed-door fundraising dinner hosted by Robert Murray where Donald Trump spoke. Wheeler later described the meeting as the point that he was swayed by Trump and decided to join the Trump campaign as a volunteer energy and environmental policy consultant:¹¹⁹

“It was about a 40-minute energy speech that [Trump] gave,” Wheeler told The Post. “He didn’t use notes. He didn’t use a teleprompter. I really thought it was the most comprehensive energy speech by a presidential candidate I had ever heard,” Wheeler told The Washington Post.¹²⁰

“I didn’t talk to a lot of people about being on the campaigns,” Wheeler added.¹²¹

February 2016

Wheeler attended a coal industry conference where Murray Energy Corp’s CEO and founder Robert Murray criticized the Obama administration.¹²²

Wheeler joined a discussion with Jason Hayes, associate director of the American Coal Council, and Holly Bender, deputy director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign.¹²³

“We’ve never seen one industry under siege by so many different regulations from so many different federal agencies at one time,” Wheeler said. “This is unprecedented. Nobody has ever faced this in the history of the regulatory agenda.”¹²⁴

November 13, 2014

Wheeler described the Paris climate agreement as a “sweetheart deal” for China, E&E News reported:¹²⁵

“It’s kind of unilateral disarmament with China,” said Wheeler, working as a lobbyist with Faegre BD Consulting. “They want to make sure they have competitive advantage on the price of electricity for manufacturing goods. So they’re trying to enter into these negotiations with Western countries to make sure that our energy prices stay higher than theirs.”

March 2013

Wheeler offered help to clients to write in comments on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to the Faegre Baker Daniels website, “RFS stakeholders are strongly encouraged to review the committee white paper and submit comments on the questions and topics raised. […] For more information, questions, or for assistance in drafting and submitting comments please contact Andrew Wheeler, Andy Ehrlich, or Joshua Andrews. Comments are due April 29, 2013.”¹²⁶

January 2005

While working as an aide for Senator James Inhofe, Wheeler was accused of abusing his power to target his political opponents. In 2005, he worked with Inhofe to demand tax records from the Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials and its sister group, State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators (STAPPA) after the groups had opposed an emission bill supported by Inhofe.¹²⁷

In February 2018, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government accountability and transparency watchdog, told HuffPost the tax probe “raises serious concerns as to Wheeler’s judgment.”¹²⁸

In a March 1, 2005 interview with E&E News, Wheeler had claimed the requests weren’t politically motivated:¹²⁹

“STAPPA receives apparently … most if not all of their funding from the U.S. taxpayers,” Wheeler said. “That is part of our legitimate oversight activities on grant oversight. It has nothing at all to do with Clear Skies.”

Bill Becker, former executive director of STAPPA for 37 years, said that the tax probe was not ordinary protocol for filings request, and said it “was meant for no other purpose than to intimidate and retaliate for positions … against their bill.”¹³⁰

“It was merely a fact-finding witch hunt against our association, with the hope that they could find something and use that against us to temper what we said,” Becker told HuffPost. “They treated us at the time in a mean-spirited, political way for merely questioning a policy.”

E&E News reported in February 2005 that in addition to the request for tax records, Inhofe asked officials from STAPPA and ALAPCO for written answers on opposing positions to the Clear Skies initiative. “In hindsight, Wheeler said it was a mistake to mix the two written requests together. But he added, ‘The information is not being used by our air team. There’s no retaliation from their testimony.’”¹³¹

Wheeler later suggested that Inhofe’s investigation of STAPPA and ALAPCO was part of a larger one looking at the annual receipts of around 200 discretionary EPA grants. He questioned STAPPA and ALAPCO‘s motivations for talking to the media about the request, suggesting their goal was to end the investigation.¹³²

1997

Wheeler reportedly attended a visit to Yucca Mountain, Nevada funded by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). NEI paid for 74 senators to tour the proposed site for a proposed nuclear waste repository. The total cost to NEI was $18,421 a Public Citizen press release noted, “but that high price may have helped solidify the votes they were targeting with these trips.” Of those who attended, 85% voted to end a filibuster of S.104 and 95% voted for H.R. 1270, together known as the Nuclear Waste Policy act of 1997.¹³³

“Las Vegas hotel and casino perks for Congress are not doled out to improve democracy, but to provide the nuclear lobby greater access to Congress,” said Auke Piersma, energy policy analyst with Public Citizen’s Critical Mass Energy Project. “It seems clear that the trips are used to reward the nuclear industry’s Congressional friends and toss perks to those who are undecided.”¹³⁴

The NEI reportedly sent Wheeler on two trips. “Not only, did Mr. Wheeler enjoy a junket to Las Vegas, but during the Jazz Festival In New Orleans, he ‘found facts’ at the Waterford nuclear reactor. More ‘Yacts” were likely found at the four star Westin Canal Place Hotel in the French Quarter, offering a heated roof top pool, complete health club facilities, and marble bath” Public Citizen wrote.¹³⁵

Affiliations

Holland & Hart LLP — Partner and head of federal affairs¹³⁶ since April 2024.¹³⁷
Virginia Office of Regulatory Management — Director (June 2022 – April 2024).¹³⁸
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — former Administrator.¹³⁹ Former acting administrator (appointed July 5, 2018).¹⁴⁰ Former deputy administrator (confirmed April 12, 2018). Special Assistant (1991 – 1995).¹⁴¹ ¹⁴²
FaegreBD Consulting — Principal (January 2009 – April 2017).¹⁴³
Murray Energy — Former lobbyist, as recently as 2017.¹⁴⁴
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee — Minority/majority staff director and chief counsel (2003 – 2009).¹⁴⁵“Hon. Andrew Wheeler,” LinkedIn. Accessed April, 2025. Archived pdf on file at DeSmog.¹⁴⁶
U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, Wetlands, and Nuclear Safety — Subcommittee Staff Director. (January 1997 – January 2003).¹⁴⁷
US Senator Jim Inhofe — Chief counsel (January 1995 – January 1997).¹⁴⁸
Washington Coal Club — Former vice president, and former president as of 2016. No longer listed in 2017.¹⁴⁹, ¹⁵⁰
National Energy Resources Organization — has been chairman.¹⁵¹

Andrew Wheeler on LinkedIn – Account no longer active.
Hon. Andrew Wheeler on LinkedIn
@AndrewRWheeler on Twitter

Publications

Wheeler’s profile at Faegre Baker Daniels lists a range of his published articles and media mentions such as:

Highlights of the House Energy Spending Bill – Jul 27, 2017.
What To Expect From Trump’s Environmental Policies – Nov 30, 2017.
PURPA Changes Could Shake Up Clean Energy Market – Sep 6, 2016.
A Bipartisan Bill On Energy Policy? – May 8, 2015.
Keystone XL Will Shape Energy Debate For 114th Congress – Feb 11, 2015.
EPA Delay On Renewable Fuel Puts Ball In Congress’ Court – Jan 8, 2015.
As Climate Changes So Does Focus On Methane Emissions – Sept 8, 2014.
Fuels Policy Front and Center – July 20, 2012.

Media Mentions

Andrew Wheeler Discusses Climate and Energy Policies with Climate Wire – Nov14, 2016
Andrew Wheeler Identifies the U.S. Senators Who Power Energy Policy – May 11, 2016
Andrew Wheeler: Coal Industry Facing ‘Unprecedented’ Regulatory Pressure – Feb 12, 2016
White House’s Social Cost of Carbon Metric to Face ‘First Big Dispute,’ Andrew Wheeler Tells Law360 – Jan 25, 2016
Andrew Wheeler to Politico and Law360: Keystone Pipeline Saga Could Prompt Industry Introspection, Legislative Changes – Nov 12, 2015
Andrew Wheeler Weighs in on States’ Alignment with Industry in Clean Power Opposition – Aug 24, 2015
Energy & Environment Daily: Influencers like Andrew Wheeler Expected to Gain K Street Clout when New Congress Takes Over Dec 09, 2014
Andrew Wheeler talks to ClimateWire about Prospect of U.S.-China Climate Deal – Nov 20, 2014
Changes in Congress could Increase Chance of Keystone Pipeline Approval: Andrew Wheeler Discusses with New York Times – Nov 14, 2014
What does Republican-Run Senate Mean for Energy Industry? Andrew Wheeler Weighs in to National Media – Nov 13, 2014
Andrew Wheeler Featured in National Journal’s “Energy Insiders” Blog on America’s Burgeoning Energy Industry – Jan 14, 2014
Andrew Wheeler Quoted in National Journal on Administration’s Approach to Climate Change – Jan 25, 2013
National Journal Quotes Andrew Wheeler on Energy Policy Gridlock – Apr 20, 2012
Energy Will Emerge as an Election Issue, Andrew Wheeler Speculates – Oct 18, 2011
Andrew Wheeler Says Coalition Needed for Legislation on Air Regulations – Jan 07, 2011
Cap and Trade Played Role in Republican Election Gains Writes Andrew Wheeler – Nov 03, 2010
Republican Victory to Impact Nation’s Regulatory Agenda Says Andrew Wheeler – Nov 03, 2010
Republican Congress Would Start With Energy Oversight Says Andrew Wheeler – Oct 25, 2010
Andrew Wheeler Believes New Emphasis on Clean Energy Is Political Move – Oct 04, 2010
Andrew Wheeler Explains Why IPCC Must Be Investigated – Mar 01, 2010
Andrew Wheeler Comments on Support for Murkowski Climate Resolution – Jan 22, 2010
Democrats Turning Away From Cap and Trade, Says Andrew Wheeler – Jan 20, 2010
Andrew Wheeler Feels Clean Air Act Amendment Is Likely to Pass – January 13, 2010

Other Resources

“Andrew R. Wheeler,“ Wikipedia.
Revolving Door: Andrew Wheeler, Opensecrets.
“With Pruitt Under Fire, Likely Successor Andrew Wheeler’s Coal Ties Deserve Scrutiny,” Union of Concerned Scientists, April 6, 2018.
Coral Davenport and Lisa Friedman. “With Ready Orders and an Energy Czar, Trump Plots Pivot to Fossil Fuels,” The New York Times, November 8, 2024.

Resources

1
“Andrew Wheeler,” LinkedIn. Accessed April 12, 2018. Archived pdf on file at DeSmog.
2
“Andrew Wheeler,” LinkedIn. Accessed April 12, 2018. Archived pdf on file at DeSmog.
3
“Andrew Wheeler,” LinkedIn. Accessed April 12, 2018. Archived pdf on file at DeSmog.
4
“Andrew R. Wheeler,” Faegre Baker Daniels. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/bzoIt
5
“Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation’s top environmental official,” The Washington Post, February 28, 2019. Archived February 28, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/xWYi6
6
“Andrew R. Wheeler,” Faegre Baker Daniels. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/bzoIt
7
“EPA leader Scott Pruitt out after numerous scandals,” CNBC, July 5, 2018. Archived July 5, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/QW1OI
8
“EPA’s Acting Administrator,” EPA.gov. Archived August 23, 2018.
9
Josh Siegel. “Senate committee approves former lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to succeed Scott Pruitt at EPA,” Washington Examiner, February 5, 2019. Archived February 5, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/rkwOl
10
“Former Inhofe aide Wheeler confirmed as EPA‘s No. 2,” CNN, April 12, 2018. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/AAVrg
11
“Andrew R. Wheeler,” Faegre Baker Daniels. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/bzoIt
12
“Andrew Wheeler Nominated as EPA Deputy Administrator,” EPA, October 5, 2017. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/hQnGn
13
Lobbying Report for B&D Consulting, April 11, 2011. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
14
“Trump to name coal lobbyist as deputy EPA chief: report,” The Hill, March 16, 2017. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/x2YCE
15
Keith Gaby. “This Coal Lobbyist Could Head the EPA, and He May Be Worse Than Pruitt,” EcoWatch, April 11, 2018. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/LTXia
16
“Murray Energy’s ‘Action Plan’ for the Trump Administration,” The New York Times, January 9, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
17
“Andrew R. Wheeler,” Faegre Baker Daniels. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/bzoIt
18
Alexander C. Kaufman. “Trump’s Climate-Denying Coal Lobbyist Nominee Inches Closer To EPA’s No. 2 Job,” HuffPost, February 6, 2018. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/AMw9A
19
“EPA, coal company argue over waste plan,” The Columbus Dispatch, July 16, 2012. Archive.is URL:https://archive.li/AWLUO
20
Associated Press. “Year after mine collapse, many failures clear,” NBCNews.com, August 6, 2008. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/pX5JL
21
“Crandall Canyon: Fines don’t satisfy families of mine disaster victims,” The Salt Lake Tribune, March 10, 2012. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/bSZjt
22
Associated Press. “Crandall Canyon Mine operator to pay nearly M in fines,” Deseret News, September 27, 2012. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/u56nW
23
“Crandall Canyon: Fines don’t satisfy families of mine disaster victims,” The Salt Lake Tribune, March 10, 2012. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/bSZjt
24
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Jacob Holzman. “Seeking to shrink Bears Ears, uranium firm met with Interior before review,” Roll Call, March 4, 2019. Archived March 4, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/tzASq
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Jacob Holzman. “Seeking to shrink Bears Ears, uranium firm met with Interior before review,” Roll Call, March 4, 2019. Archived March 4, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/tzASq
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(Press Release). “Former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Joins Holland & Hart,” Holland & Hart, April 2, 2024. Archived April 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Qu6px
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(Press Release). “Governor Glenn Youngkin Issues Executive Order Reforming Virginia’s Regulatory Process,” Governor of Virginia Glenn Younkin, June 30, 2022. Archived April 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/eKeDb
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Sarah Vogelsong. “Senate Democrats block Wheeler appointment,” Virginia Mercury, February 8, 2022. Archived April 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/LXSyb
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“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
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“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
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“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
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“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
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“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
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“Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation’s top environmental official,” The Washington Post, February 28, 2019. Archived February 28, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/xWYi6
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“Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation’s top environmental official,” The Washington Post, February 28, 2019. Archived February 28, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/xWYi6
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“Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation’s top environmental official,” The Washington Post, February 28, 2019. Archived February 28, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/xWYi6
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(Press Release). “EPA Releases Proposal to Revise MATS Supplemental Cost Finding and ‘Risk and Technology Review’,” EPA, December 28, 2018. Archived December 29, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/kIs5N
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Corbin Hiar. “Despite his assurances, Wheeler met with former clients,” E&E News, July 26, 2018. Archived July 29, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/42Fs5
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Corbin Hiar. “Despite his assurances, Wheeler met with former clients,” E&E News, July 26, 2018. Archived July 29, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/42Fs5
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Alexander C. Kaufman. “New EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler Faces First Call For Ethics Probe After Less Than A Month,” HuffPost, July 26, 2018. Archived July 29, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/Weo2s
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104
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105
Chris White. “Ex-Trump Official Goes To Bat For Coal Lobbyist-Turned EPA Deputy Nominee,” The Daily Caller, April 12, 2018. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/ft9xn
106
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Alexander C. Kaufman. “Trump’s Climate-Denying Coal Lobbyist Nominee Inches Closer To EPA’s No. 2 Job,” HuffPost, February 6, 2018. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/AMw9A
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“Coal Lobbyist Hosted Fundraisers for Senators Evaluating His Nomination for Top EPA Post,” The Intercept, February 7, 2018. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/WdCpe
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Taylor Kuykendall. “Sierra Club takes invite to industry event to talk future of coal, reliability,” SNL, February 5, 2016. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/tPR04
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Taylor Kuykendall. “Sierra Club takes invite to industry event to talk future of coal, reliability,” SNL, February 5, 2016. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/tPR04
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Taylor Kuykendall. “Sierra Club takes invite to industry event to talk future of coal, reliability,” SNL, February 5, 2016. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/tPR04
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130
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1
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2
“Andrew Wheeler,” LinkedIn. Accessed April 12, 2018. Archived pdf on file at DeSmog.
3
“Andrew Wheeler,” LinkedIn. Accessed April 12, 2018. Archived pdf on file at DeSmog.
4
“Andrew R. Wheeler,” Faegre Baker Daniels. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/bzoIt
5
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6
“Andrew R. Wheeler,” Faegre Baker Daniels. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/bzoIt
7
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8
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10
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11
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13
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14
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18
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19
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22
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23
“Crandall Canyon: Fines don’t satisfy families of mine disaster victims,” The Salt Lake Tribune, March 10, 2012. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/bSZjt
24
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Soo Rin Kim. “Who is Andrew Wheeler, the ex-coal lobbyist who will become the acting administrator of the EPA?” ABC News, July 5, 2018. Archived July 10, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/rDbqV
26
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27
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28
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29
“Information Brochure: Washington Coal Club,” WashingtonCoalClub.org.
30
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31
Past Filings Search, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Peformed April 12, 2018.
32
Jacob Holzman. “Seeking to shrink Bears Ears, uranium firm met with Interior before review,” Roll Call, March 4, 2019. Archived March 4, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/tzASq
33
Jacob Holzman. “Seeking to shrink Bears Ears, uranium firm met with Interior before review,” Roll Call, March 4, 2019. Archived March 4, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/tzASq
34
Jacob Holzman. “Seeking to shrink Bears Ears, uranium firm met with Interior before review,” Roll Call, March 4, 2019. Archived March 4, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/tzASq
35
Jacob Holzman. “Seeking to shrink Bears Ears, uranium firm met with Interior before review,” Roll Call, March 4, 2019. Archived March 4, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/tzASq
36
Past Filings Search, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Peformed April 12, 2018.
37
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38
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39
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40
Lisa Friedman. “E.P.A. Finalizes Its Plan to Replace Obama-Era Climate Rules,” The New York Times, June 19, 2019. Archived June 20, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Conw7
41
“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
42
“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
43
“Incoming EPA chief: ‘This is the right job for me.’” The Washington Post, July 6, 2018. Archived July 9, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/2zngf
44
“The Energy 202: Trump’s energy policies have endeared him to establishment Republicans,” The Washington Post, October 9, 2017. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/1slsI
45
“The Energy 202: Trump’s energy policies have endeared him to establishment Republicans,” The Washington Post, October 9, 2017. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/1slsI
46
“The Energy 202: Trump’s energy policies have endeared him to establishment Republicans,” The Washington Post, October 9, 2017. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/1slsI
47
Dino Grandoni. “This coal lobbyist once wrote Trump was a ‘bully.’ Now he’s the nominee for EPA’s No. 2 spot,” The Washington Post, October 7, 2017. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/jXh3W
48
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Taylor Kuykendall. “Sierra Club takes invite to industry event to talk future of coal, reliability,” SNL, February 5, 2016. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/tPR04
50
Isaac Arnsdorf. “Chevron hires Sidley Austin,” Politico, November 9, 2015. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/0uRT1
51
“Andrew Wheeler Says Coalition Needed for Legislation on Air Regulations,” Faegre Baker Daniels, January 7, 2011. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/2DPOT
52
“Andrew Wheeler Explains Why IPCC Must Be Investigated,” Faegre Baker Daniels, March 1, 2010. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/665YJ
53
“EPW Committee staff director Wheeler discusses prospects for ‘Clear Skies’ bill,” E&E News, March 1, 2005. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/oK9Iw
54
“Inhofe postpones Clear Skies markup until Thursday,” E&E News, March 2, 2005. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
55
“Podcast: Larry Kudlow Show: ‘Andrew Wheeler | 12-28-24.’” Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.
56
“Andrew Wheeler | 12-28-24” YouTube video uploaded by user “Red Apple Podcast Network,” December 29, 2024.
57
Andrew Wheeler. “Trump Can Pull the Plug on EV Mandates,” Wall Street Journal, December 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/hKACy
58
Andrew Wheeler. “Trump Can Pull the Plug on EV Mandates,” Wall Street Journal, December 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/hKACy
59
Jean Chemnick. “Wheeler says he’s not returning to EPA as a deputy,” E&E News, December 5, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/6P6CT
60
“Former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Talks 2024 Policy Landscape at NAM HQ,” National Association of Manufacturers, June 21, 2024. Archived April 24, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Xc0Rc
61
“Former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Talks 2024 Policy Landscape at NAM HQ,” National Association of Manufacturers, June 21, 2024. Archived April 24, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Xc0Rc
62
“Why Trump’s once (and future?) EPA chief thinks Biden’s climate rules could be in trouble,” Politico Energy via Simplecast.com. Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.
63
(Press Release). “Former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Joins Holland & Hart,” Holland & Hart, April 2, 2024. Archived April 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Qu6px
64
“Energy and Resources,” Holland & Hart. Archived April 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/DqTwQ
65
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66
“Environmental,” Holland & Hart. Archived April 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/62Re9
67
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Brian Maffly. “Battle lines drawn around EPA’s move against Utah ozone emissions,” The Salt Lake Tribune, February 17, 2023. Archived April 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/GVeI3
69
Timothy Cama. “Inhofe’s legacy: A vast alumni network on climate, energy,” E&E News, December 22, 2022. Archived May 26, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mcT37
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71
Joe Fassler and Sharon Kelly. “Climate Deniers Waiting in the Wings as Trump Reclaims Presidency,” DeSmog, November 8, 2024.
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73
(Press Release). “Governor Glenn Youngkin Issues Executive Order Reforming Virginia’s Regulatory Process,” Governor of Virginia Glenn Younkin, June 30, 2022. Archived April 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/eKeDb
74
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75
Sarah Vogelsong. “Senate Democrats block Wheeler appointment,” Virginia Mercury, February 8, 2022. Archived April 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/LXSyb
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“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
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“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
78
“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
79
“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
80
“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
81
“Text: Transcript of Reuters Interview With EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler,” The New York Times, April 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/2kUBI
82
“Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation’s top environmental official,” The Washington Post, February 28, 2019. Archived February 28, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/xWYi6
83
Josh Siegel. “Senate committee approves former lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to succeed Scott Pruitt at EPA,” Washington Examiner, February 5, 2019. Archived February 5, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/rkwOl
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“Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation’s top environmental official,” The Washington Post, February 28, 2019. Archived February 28, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/xWYi6
85
“Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation’s top environmental official,” The Washington Post, February 28, 2019. Archived February 28, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/xWYi6
86
“Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation’s top environmental official,” The Washington Post, February 28, 2019. Archived February 28, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/xWYi6
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“Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation’s top environmental official,” The Washington Post, February 28, 2019. Archived February 28, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/xWYi6
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Timothy Cama. “EPA puts climate change skeptic, conservative think tank scholar on science board,” The Hill, January 31, 2019. Archived February 1, 2019. Archve.is URL: http://archive.is/7HvrZ
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Timothy Cama. “EPA puts climate change skeptic, conservative think tank scholar on science board,” The Hill, January 31, 2019. Archived February 1, 2019. Archve.is URL: http://archive.is/7HvrZ
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Lisa Friedman. “New E.P.A. Plan Could Free Coal Plants to Release More Mercury Into the Air,” The New York Times, December 28, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/k1b99
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Lisa Friedman. “New E.P.A. Plan Could Free Coal Plants to Release More Mercury Into the Air,” The New York Times, December 28, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/k1b99
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Lisa Friedman. “New E.P.A. Plan Could Free Coal Plants to Release More Mercury Into the Air,” The New York Times, December 28, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/k1b99
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(Press Release). “EPA Releases Proposal to Revise MATS Supplemental Cost Finding and ‘Risk and Technology Review’,” EPA, December 28, 2018. Archived December 29, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/kIs5N
94
Lisa Friedman. “How a Coal Baron’s Wish List Became President Trump’s To-Do List,” The New York Times, January 9, 2018. Archived December 28, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/nGcQ9
95
Press Release. “EPA Sued for Records of Andrew Wheeler Meetings With Oil Lobbyists,” The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth, December 4, 2018. Archived December 4, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/rz2oA
96
Press Release. “EPA Sued for Records of Andrew Wheeler Meetings With Oil Lobbyists,” The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth, December 4, 2018. Archived December 4, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/rz2oA
97
Press Release. “EPA Sued for Records of Andrew Wheeler Meetings With Oil Lobbyists,” The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth, December 4, 2018. Archived December 4, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/rz2oA
98
Corbin Hiar. “Despite his assurances, Wheeler met with former clients,” E&E News, July 26, 2018. Archived July 29, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/42Fs5
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Corbin Hiar. “Despite his assurances, Wheeler met with former clients,” E&E News, July 26, 2018. Archived July 29, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/42Fs5
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Corbin Hiar. “Despite his assurances, Wheeler met with former clients,” E&E News, July 26, 2018. Archived July 29, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/42Fs5
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Corbin Hiar. “Despite his assurances, Wheeler met with former clients,” E&E News, July 26, 2018. Archived July 29, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/42Fs5
102
Alexander C. Kaufman. “New EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler Faces First Call For Ethics Probe After Less Than A Month,” HuffPost, July 26, 2018. Archived July 29, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/Weo2s
103
“Senate confirms a former coal lobbyist as Scott Pruitt’s second-in-command at EPA,” The Washington Post, April 12, 2018. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/YE5yE
104
“Senate confirms a former coal lobbyist as Scott Pruitt’s second-in-command at EPA,” The Washington Post, April 12, 2018. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/YE5yE
105
Chris White. “Ex-Trump Official Goes To Bat For Coal Lobbyist-Turned EPA Deputy Nominee,” The Daily Caller, April 12, 2018. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/ft9xn
106
“Wheeler and Hartnett-White Are Dangers to The Truth, Our Clean Air and Water, and The Climate,” Sierra Club, November 8, 2017. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/Doblk
107
Eric Wolff. “The man who could replace Scott Pruitt,” Politico, May 5, 2018. Archived May 9, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/3RykL
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Eric Wolff. “The man who could replace Scott Pruitt,” Politico, May 5, 2018. Archived May 9, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/3RykL
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Eric Wolff. “The man who could replace Scott Pruitt,” Politico, May 5, 2018. Archived May 9, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/3RykL
110
“Hearing on the Nominations of Kathleen Hartnett White to be a Member of the Council on Environmental Quality and Andrew Wheeler to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,” U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, November 8, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
111
Alexander C. Kaufman. “Trump’s Climate-Denying Coal Lobbyist Nominee Inches Closer To EPA’s No. 2 Job,” HuffPost, February 6, 2018. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/AMw9A
112
“Andrew Wheeler Nominated as EPA Deputy Administrator,” EPA, October 5, 2017. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/hQnGn
113
“Trump’s choice for No. 2 at EPA admitted he saw coal baron’s action plan to dismantle agency,” ThinkProgress, November 8, 2017. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/STCH6
114
“Coal Lobbyist Hosted Fundraisers for Senators Evaluating His Nomination for Top EPA Post,” The Intercept, February 7, 2018. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/WdCpe
115
“Exclusive Photos Contradict Murray Energy CEO’s Claim He Had ‘Nothing To Do with’ Rick Perry’s Coal Bailout,” InTheseTimes, December 6, 2017. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/DKU3r
116
“Senate confirms a former coal lobbyist as Scott Pruitt’s second-in-command at EPA,” The Washington Post, April 12, 2018. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/YE5yE
117
“Trump’s choice for No. 2 at EPA admitted he saw coal baron’s action plan to dismantle agency,” ThinkProgress, November 8, 2017. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/STCH6
118
Saba Hamedy. “Fired photographer who leaked photo of Rick Perry hugging coal executive wants his job back,” CNN, January 17, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/wywBy
119
“Donald Trump Heads for Coal Industry Fundraiser in West Virginia,” Time, June 28, 2016. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/5sKeL
120
“The Energy 202: Trump’s energy policies have endeared him to establishment Republicans,” The Washington Post, October 9, 2017. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/1slsI
121
“The Energy 202: Trump’s energy policies have endeared him to establishment Republicans,” The Washington Post, October 9, 2017. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/1slsI
122
Taylor Kuykendall. “Sierra Club takes invite to industry event to talk future of coal, reliability,” SNL, February 5, 2016. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/tPR04
123
Taylor Kuykendall. “Sierra Club takes invite to industry event to talk future of coal, reliability,” SNL, February 5, 2016. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/tPR04
124
Taylor Kuykendall. “Sierra Club takes invite to industry event to talk future of coal, reliability,” SNL, February 5, 2016. Archived April 12, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/tPR04
125
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126
“Stakeholder Input Sought on Second Renewable Fuel Standard White Paper,” Faegre Baker Daniels, April 23, 2013. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/jBpk4
127
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128
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129
“EPW Committee staff director Wheeler discusses prospects for ‘Clear Skies’ bill,” E&E News, March 1, 2005. Archived April 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/oK9Iw
130
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