Quotes from Andrew R. Wheeler

The American public has a right to know the truth about the risks they face in their daily lives and how we are responding.

We have the safest drinking water in the world.

We should be bolstering American energy independence and American jobs - not making ourselves vulnerable by lining the pockets of foreign energy suppliers.

I am an Eagle Scout. I am very proud of that. When I was in college I worked summers in a Boy Scout summer camp. I was a nature conservation director.

I care a lot about the environment. I really do. I practice it in my personal life.

The Obama administration's Clean Power Plan was stayed by the Supreme Court. That was an historic stay. They had never stepped in at that stage in litigation and actually issued a stay for a Clean Air Act regulation. They did that because I believe the Clean Power Plan was outside of the Clean Air Act. It was outside the bounds of the law.

When President Donald Trump took office, he immediately began a process to remove and replace undue regulatory burdens that stifle American innovation and economic development. At the top of the list was the Obama Administration's 2015 Waters of the United States rule.

Under the Clean Water Act, the federal government has jurisdiction over navigable waters - defined as the 'waters of the United States.' Federal regulators and the courts have broadened this definition over time, moving from waters a vessel can navigate to ponds and wetlands as well.

We're taking climate change seriously. But it's not the only environmental issue that we face as a planet.

I believe that man does have an impact on the climate, that CO2 has an impact on the climate, and we do take that seriously.

The PFOA, PFOS is is a real concern and people need to be concerned about it and the water systems need to be concerned about it. But when you only focus on that, it could take resources away from other issues or problems that the water systems have diverted to just this. And this may not be a huge problem in every community.

We are working to understand and regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl synthetic chemicals, known as PFAS and PFOS, used to make water-repellent fabrics and non-stick products. These chemicals have been in prevalent use since the 1940s, but we need to learn more about their potential effects on human health and the environment.

Here at the EPA, the agency will continue to do its best to promote the health and welfare of all Americans.

We are elevating this work to address global water security to a new level under President Trump.

Up to 2.5 billion people around the world lack access to safe drinking water and, as a result, proper sanitation. This fact leads to anywhere from 1 to 3 million deaths every year.

I do not consider myself to be a scientist, and I've always deferred to career scientists on issues of science.

Since the 1970s, California has failed to carry out its most basic tasks under the Clean Air Act.

We are importing Russian natural gas which is not produced in an environmentally conscious manner. If the states that are blocking the pipelines were truly concerned about the environment, they would look to where the natural gas would be coming from.

I would say that California has been focused on climate change to the detriment of the other environmental programs.

In the past, people have had to hire lawyers or consultants to try to figure out whether or not their property contains a federal waterway. We want to make sure that the definition is clear and concise.

There is no more important responsibility than protecting human health and the environment. It is a responsibility I take very seriously.

Since the first Earth Day, the EPA has regulated lead out of paint, air, and gasoline. It started fuel-economy testing (and then caught those cheating on them), phased out ozone-depleting aerosols, and removed cancer-causing pesticides from the marketplace.

Getting the older cars off the road improves public safety as well as environment.

I did not reach out to the Pruitt E.P.A. at all. I did not lobby them. That was purposeful.