For Immediate Release
December 14, 2020
California Environmental Justice Leaders Call on Biden to Appoint EPA Leader with a ‘Proven Track Record’ on Environmental Justice
Kevin de Leon, Heather Mcteer Toney, and Mathy Stanislaus Named as ‘Promising Candidates’
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, California environmental justice advocates announced their support for key candidates for the EPA Administrator position.
“We’re encouraged by the news that President-Elect Biden may no longer be considering Mary Nichols for EPA Administrator. Now, we urge the President-Elect to choose from among a number of promising candidates, including the architect of California’s clean energy bills, SB 100 and SB 350, the former California State Senate Pro-tem Kevin de Leon, alongside advocates Heather Mcteer Toney and Mathy Stanislaus.
Across the country, people who live alongside oil and gas wells, big refineries, and dirty power plants are rejecting false market-based approaches to the climate crisis that subsidize fossil fuel executives at the expense of community health and well-being. We call on President-Elect Biden to listen to the frontlines and appoint an EPA leader who will address systemic racism by partnering with communities to create equity-driven solutions to our pollution and climate crises.” – Gladys Limón, Executive Director of the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA)
“This week, as the first vaccines are shared with frontline medical workers, we urge President-Elect Biden to recognize the environmental health crises faced by millions of people across the country, and appoint an EPA Administrator who will prioritize environmental justice. At the EPA and across the administration we need leaders who have a proven track record of working with environmental justice communities to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land that we grow food on, and the people we love. Former California State Senate Pro-tem Kevin de Leon and advocates Heather Mcteer Toney and Mathy Stanislaus are promising candidates for the role.” – Miya Yoshitani, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)
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