Trump picks Lee Zeldin to run Environmental Protection Agency

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00:00A Trump loyalist who voted against certifying the 2020 election results,

00:05former congressman Lee Zeldin was picked by the president-elect

00:09to head the Environmental Protection Agency.

00:13We will restore US energy dominance,

00:15revitalise our auto industry to bring back American jobs

00:19and make the US the global leader of AI.

00:21We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.

00:26Zeldin's appointment has been criticised by some environmentalists.

00:30During his time in Congress from 2015 to 2023,

00:34he cast yes votes on key green legislation just 14% of the time,

00:40according to a scorecard by the League of Conservation Voters.

00:44And though he had previously opposed efforts to expand offshore oil and gas drilling,

00:49Zeldin called for the construction of more gas pipelines

00:52while campaigning to become New York governor in 2022.

00:56We should reverse the state's ban on the safe extraction of natural gas

01:01and approve new pipeline applications.

01:04The EPA has a variety of responsibilities,

01:07including ensuring clean air, land and water in the US

01:11and conducting environmental research.

01:14If confirmed by the Senate as EPA administrator,

01:18Zeldin will carry out Donald Trump's energy and climate agenda.

01:22In his first term as president,

01:24Trump rolled back more than 100 environmental policies and regulations

01:28and tried to cut the EPA's budget by one third.

01:32This prompted hundreds of agency staff to leave.

01:36This time, the president-elect says he plans to start

01:39rescinding EPA and government rules on vehicle pollution on his first day in office.

01:45Agency employees, meanwhile, fear the incoming administration

01:48will undo or block rules taken or proposed during Biden's time in office,

01:53such as some designed to rein in toxic chemical pollution in the country's drinking water.

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