Lisa Jackson spent 16 years enforcing pollution standards at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and two more running New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). So with that background in both administration and enforcement, and perspectives on environmental issues from both the federal and state level, it’s not surprising that President Obama chose her to head the EPA.
Jackson already has made it clear that the three core values articulated by Obama–that science must be the backbone for EPA programs, that the EPA must follow the rule of law and that the agency must be transparent–will shape what she does. She also has highlighted five priorities that will get her personal attention: reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improving air quality, managing chemical risk, cleaning up hazardous waste sites and protecting America’s water.
