President Donald Trump on Tuesday appointed Josh F.W. Cook to lead EPA’s Region 9 office.
Cook, a veteran California GOP staffer and consultant, will be tasked with guiding the Trump administration’s deregulation push in a region stretching from the Southwest to Guam.
Cook, who recently served as chief of staff for former California state senator and gubernatorial candidate Brian Dahle, will be charged with overseeing the Trump administration’s environmental programs and for a region that includes California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and the United States’ Pacific island territories.
Why it matters: Cook will play a leading role in EPA’s efforts to unwind dozens of regulations on climate change, air quality, wastewater, chemicals and more, top Trump priorities that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin turbocharged last week.
