The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has expunged climate change from its org chart, but it hasn’t washed its hands of climate-related work just yet. The agency overhauled the Office of Air and Radiation early this month, including eliminating two offices that produced climate rules: the Office of Atmospheric Protection and the Office of Air Quality Planning.
Bracewell’s Jeff Holmstead, who served as EPA air chief under former President George W. Bush, called the new structure “pretty sensible.” He pointed to EPA’s decision to shrink its separate research arm and bring more researchers into the program offices, where they could better support regulatory work. That is, except for climate work, he said.
“I think those functions will be basically going away,” Holmstead said.
