EPA’s second-in-command is retiring.
Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe told agency staffers in a Thursday email obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News that her final day at EPA will be Oct. 4.
“I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life, taking me back home to Indiana to be with my family and friends,” McCabe wrote. Taking her place on an acting basis will be Jane Nishida, who is currently assistant administrator for international and tribal affairs.
As deputy administrator since 2021, McCabe essentially served as EPA’s chief operating officer, helping to guide the agency through the unprecedented disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic. As an appointee of President Joe Biden, she also oversaw a hiring burst that added almost 2,000 employees to EPA’s payroll last year, pushing its total headcount to some 16,000.
