EPA Air Chief Exits as Deregulatory Agenda Hangs in Balance (3)

EPA’s air chief Bill Wehrum’s exit from the agency surprised many observers, as critical portions of his agenda remain unfinished.

But observers said Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Anne Idsal, who is set to take over Wehrum’s responsibilities as acting assistant administrator, is likely to continue many of Wehrum’s priority actions.

Wehrum’s departure, announced June 26 in a statement from Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler, comes as the agency’s air office works to finish rewrites of Obama-era regulations governing emissions from power plants, automobiles, and oil wells.

His departure also follows allegations from environmental groups, watchdog ...