Jeffrey Holmstead
Assistant Administrator, Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency

Then: From 1993 until his appointment to the EPA, Holmstead worked at the Washington law firm Latham & Watkins, representing the American Farm Bureau Federation in a case against the EPA, as well as Montrose Chemical and the Alliance for Constructive Air Policy. According to his official White House bio, Holmstead's work at the law firm "included a number of environmental issues--including many arising under the Clean Air Act." In fact, Holmstead represented chemical companies and industry groups seeking looser pollution standards.

			· Related Places · Baton Rouge · Related Policies · The Clean Air Act E-mail article Print article · E-mail the editor

From 1989 to 1993, he served as associate counsel to President George H.W. Bush, advising him on environmental policy. Holmstead also served as an adjunct scholar for Citizens for the Environment, a libertarian group founded and funded by oil giants Charles and David Koch.

Now: Holmstead is overseeing the administration's overhaul of Clean Air Act rules, which will allow industrial plants to expand without installing better pollution controls. When epa scientists came up with data indicating that the administration's "Clear Skies" proposal would increase pollution, he reportedly replied, "How can we justify Clear Skies if this gets out?"

© 2003 The Foundation for National Progress

Close Window