Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced that Bob Meyers, a Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation (“OAR”), will replace Bill Wehrum as the Acting Assistant Administrator of OAR.  OAR handles all of EPA’s programs under the Clean Air Act, and the Assistant Administrator is the senior staff person in that office.

Bill Wehrum, the current Acting Assistant Administrator in EPA’s OAR, announced his departure from EPA on May 23rd, effective June 1, 2007.  Wehrum’s six years at EPA included two years as the Acting Assistant Administrator following the departure of Jeff Holmstead from the Assistant Administrator position in 2005.  Although he was chosen to serve as the Assistant Administrator, Wehrum was never confirmed by the U.S. Senate to fill that role.

Bob Meyers served for nine years as Republican counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee prior to joining EPA.  In that role, he was recognized for his experience and competency in the areas of climate change, clean coal, gasoline and diesel fuels, and alternative vehicles.  Meyers’ is expected to take the lead of OAR immediately following Wehrum’s departure from the Agency.  There is no word as to whether the Administration will seek to make Meyers’ appointment permanent by seeking Senate approval.

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