Trump Taps Dow Chemical Lawyer To Lead EPA’s Response To Toxic Spills

U.S. President Donald Trump listens to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia, during their joint press conference, in the East Room of the White House, on Friday, February 23, 2018. (Photo by Cheriss May/NurPhoto)
U.S. President Donald Trump listens to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia, during their joint press conference, in the East Room of the White House, on Friday, February 23, 2018. (Photo by Cheriss May/NurPh... U.S. President Donald Trump listens to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia, during their joint press conference, in the East Room of the White House, on Friday, February 23, 2018. (Photo by Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The White House announced on Friday President Donald Trump’s chosen nominee to run the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste: Peter C. Wright, a corporate lawyer from The Down Chemical Company.

Tapped as the EPA’s assistant administrator, Wright would lead the agency’s efforts in responding to toxic spills and cleaning hazard waste sites.

In the official announcement, the White House says Wright has “led Dow’s legal strategies regarding Superfund sites and other Federal and State-led remediation matters.” Wright has been a managing counsel for Dow since 1999.

Dow and Dupont (a rival chemical company that merged with Dow last year) are responsible for over 100 of the toxic sites currently undergoing or scheduled for cleanup, according to an analysis by the Associated Press.

Correction: This post originally stated the companies were responsible for “over half of the 100 toxic sites currently undergoing or scheduled for cleanup.”

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: