Chicago, IL (October 12, 2021) – Earlier today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced that President Biden will appoint Debra Shore to become EPA’s Regional Administrator for Region 5. In response, Alliance for the Great Lakes President & CEO Joel Brammeier released the following statement:
“The Alliance for the Great Lakes congratulates Commissioner Debra Shore on her appointment as U.S. EPA Region 5 administrator. Region 5 is home to the agency’s Great Lakes programs, and its administrator is responsible for environmental projects in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Region 5 also oversees the Great Lakes National Program Office, which administers the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and coordinates actions among more than a dozen federal agencies. Shore’s background as a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner, overseeing one of the country’s largest combined sewage and stormwater management systems, will surely be an asset in her new role.
There is much work to be done: We look forward to the Region 5 office improving how they monitor polluters and enforce rule violations. We also expect the Region 5 offices to prioritize rebuilding the region’s crumbling water infrastructure, and making sure that all agency decisions are made through the lenses of environmental justice and addressing climate change.
We look forward to working with Shore, the Region 5 EPA and the Biden administration on the water issues that matter to the Great Lakes region’s residents.”
For more information about the Alliance’s priorities for the 117th Congress and the Biden-Harris administration, click here.
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