Remarks for the Bold Promises, Real Results Event, As Prepared for Delivery
Michael Regan
Washington, DC
Thank you, Colton, for that wonderful introduction.
I’d also like to thank Jeaneanne Gettle, Acting Regional Administrator for Region 4—thank you for your incredible leadership.
As well as Dr. Chavis—my friend...a fearless advocate and a passionate leader, for justice.
And I’d like to thank every single person in this spectacular auditorium for joining us today.
It’s incredible to be here with so many environmental leaders, visionaries, and advocates …
And I’m honored to be joined by my EPA colleagues both in person and watching remotely, our nation’s best and brightest.
Experts and professionals who’ve dedicated their lives and careers to building a cleaner environment and healthier communities.
We came in on day one with bold promises...and today we are here to reflect on the real results we have achieved for communities nationwide.
As writer, activist and anthropologist Margaret Mead once famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
And that’s exactly what I see when I look out into the crowd today…
A thoughtful and committed EPA that is having a profound impact on our collective future and the future of our planet.
Folks, some of the most consequential moments in history began with a simple idea and a yearning to make a small difference.
And the people who work at EPA are changing the world.
Team EPA is tenacious...resilient, loyal, dedicated...and just plain fearless.
I was reminded of your tenacity the moment I walked through EPA’s doors in March 2021.
Remember—those were tough times for everyone.
Our nation and our economy were grappling with a life-altering, global pandemic.
And the mood at EPA was in a much different place than the EPA I once knew.
As some of you know, I started my career here as an intern and worked under two administrations...
...Presidents Clinton and Bush. Democrat and Republican.
But this time...returning to EPA was different.
It was different because contrary to past leadership, the previous administration suppressed scientific integrity—undermining our agency’s most fundamental principles.
And I saw the impact that it had on you … rolling back rules to protect our air, water, and land.
You all spoke to me about how facts were rejected, your recommendations were completely ignored, and research...lifesaving research...was stifled.
In those early days, I can vividly remember feeling the weight of the task we had before us…
...and the two main challenges we needed to confront and overcome.
Number one.
Because of the previous administration’s flagrant disregard for science, we lost hundreds of world-class experts and staff...and with them went decades of valuable institutional knowledge.
And number two.
President Biden had high expectations for our agency and a bold vision for the future of our country.
While the circumstances should have felt overwhelming...they weren’t...because I know who YOU are.
Team EPA is tenacious...resilient....and fearless...
The fight, the spirit, and the perseverance of our team is unparalleled...
Because together, there is absolutely nothing we can’t accomplish...
From day one, President Biden promised a bold and ambitious environmental agenda...and EPA was at the center.
The president vowed to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, while lowering energy costs and saving families’ money...
In November 2021, he put forth this ambition clearly, bound by our moral obligation to future generations, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
He said... “This is the challenge of our collective lifetimes. The existential threat to human existence as we know it. And every day we delay, the cost of inaction increases… So let this be the moment that we answer history’s call.”
His vision was bold...
...not just in scope and ambition, but bold because of the modern pollution and societal challenges we face as a nation.
For far too long, too many communities across our country have disproportionately suffered from a lack of investment and adequate access to critical public health protections.
President Biden is fighting with the sense of urgency that pollution and the climate crisis demands...and he’s rising to the occasion to right these longstanding wrongs.
Buoyed by his clarity of vision and strong sense of purpose, we launched our Journey to Justice tour in 2021.
I wanted to meet people in their communities...
I wanted to hear directly from some of our nation’s most neglected and underserved communities...
I wanted to see what they see.
And I also saw it as an opportunity to bring national and international attention to the unacceptable conditions that have plagued communities for decades.
So, we began our journey through the southern United States in communities where industrial corridors have polluted the air and water...impacting generations of families sickened with cancer.
We traveled to Puerto Rico where we met with families who reside only a stone’s throw away from a dirty coal plant...living in constant fear about the air they breathe and the water their children drink.
We continued our journey to McDowell County, West Virginia...one of the poorest counties in America, touring communities with straight pipes protruding from their homes...dumping raw sewage into the very yards their children play in.
We even traveled as far as Alaska to meet with Tribal communities and see first-hand the challenges caused by the impacts of climate change, food insecurity, and failing water infrastructure.
...we sought to see and feel them firsthand so that our decisions were informed by real-life experiences.
And to do that effectively agencywide, we went back to the birthplace of the environmental justice movement.
In Warren County, North Carolina, we announced the elevation of environmental justice and external civil rights to the highest levels of EPA...placing this critical work on equal structural footing with EPA’s other national programs.
We established a new office with more than 200 dedicated staff and billions of dollars in resources toward solving environmental challenges in communities that have been underserved for far too long.
This laid the foundation to ensure that every action we would take moving forward would not leave anyone behind.
Not only were we back to following the science and listening to our career team...but we were arming ourselves with the ability to make decisions through the lens of lived experiences.
And together, we have been rocking and rolling ever since...finalizing standards for existing coal and natural gas power plants that will avoid more than 1.3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution...
Putting our TSCA and pesticides programs back on track, including banning the last remaining kind of asbestos linked to more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year...
Responding to environmental and public health emergencies in communities across the country, from East Palestine, Ohio, to Maui, Hawaii and Jackson, Mississippi...
Setting technology standards for cars and trucks, that will avoid 7.2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution...
We are cleaning up our water...with the most significant water regulation in the last 30 years that will reduce PFAS exposure for 100 million people...
We’ve replaced more than 220,000 lead service lines to ensure healthier drinking water for communities across this country.
And...we said enough is enough to Cancer Alley, issuing standards that will slash cancer-causing pollution and reducing elevated cancer risks from chemical plants by 96%.
And along with your regulatory actions and your outstanding enforcement strategies, President Biden showed even more confidence in you by securing more than $100 billion dollars through historic legislation.
These billions of dollars in resources complement our traditional mission...spurring us to move further and faster than ever before while creating jobs, growing our economy, and supercharging private investment in clean technologies.
We’re investing $27 billion dollars thru the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund...pulling hundreds of billions of dollars in private capital off the sidelines to install affordable community solar...retrofit buildings to be more energy efficient...tackle climate change head on...and directly invest in communities that would otherwise be left behind.
$50 billion dollars to replace lead pipes, protect our nation’s treasured waters, and build drinking water and wastewater systems that are resilient to the climate crisis.
$5 billion dollars for cleaner school buses that will transform the way millions of kids across this country get to and from school.
Another $5 billion to clean up Superfund and brownfields sites in every region.
And another $3 billion dollars for environmental and climate justice grants connecting these resources to the community solutions they’ve had for decades.
Folks, that’s a lot of investment...and a lot of trust that you can get the job done.
And not just for today’s challenges...but the challenges that will face our children and our grandchildren.
That’s why we are investing so heavily in young leaders like NEYAC’s very own Colton...or Alex Lan in the Office of Water...
...or Lisa Thompson in the Office of Air and Radiation.
History has shown us that young people have always played a central role in demanding social and political change.
From the young leaders who peacefully protested segregated lunch counters during the civil rights movement...
To the groups of students who fought to lower the national voting age from 21 to 18...
To the college students who organized national demonstrations that led to the very first earth day...
To the brave young folks demanding climate action NOW...
Every generation has its own defining challenge...
And just like President Biden said, the challenge of our time is climate change.
I’m grateful for the young employees who’ve joined our ranks, as well as the members of EPA’s newly launched National Environmental Youth Advisory Council — because young people deserve a seat at the table...their leadership is crucial to our future.
These young leaders will bridge the gap between EPA and the communities they represent — ensuring that the environmental issues impacting communities across the country, are heard, and addressed.
President Biden made bold promises for the people of this country, and thanks to his leadership, and thanks to you, EPA is delivering real results.
And one significant way to solidify this lasting change is to continue investing in YOU.
Together with our mission support team we’ve championed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.
We’ve implemented a paid internship program, to attract the best and the brightest young minds.
Since I have come back to EPA, we’ve increased our ranks by nearly 5,200 employees.
And finally — and perhaps most importantly — the mission support team has prioritized your wellbeing... your work-life balance...and your ability to effectively deliver real results for the people of this country.
Folks, America needs a strong EPA.
An EPA that can respond to the communities shattered by catastrophic wildfires and hurricanes...
An EPA that partners with the advocates who have dedicated their lives to fighting for cleaner air, safer water, and healthier communities...
An EPA that empowers the parents who are working tirelessly to protect their children from PFAS and lead exposure...
And an EPA that invests in young leaders who are dedicating their lives to protecting our planet.
Let me tell you what I know...
I know our future is bright, and the state of EPA is stronger than ever.
I know we won’t let up until all communities have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink...
And, I couldn’t be prouder to lead this EPA… at this critical moment in time...under this President’s leadership.
Thank you, for your work.
Thank you for your fight.
Thank you, team EPA!
Let’s Go!