The White House prepared to nominate Justin Schwab, a senior adviser to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, to lead the agency's Office of Air and Radiation, three sources told Reuters. The planned nomination was paused after current head Aaron Szabo's last-minute move to a law firm fell through and he remained in his post. Schwab would require a formal nomination and Senate confirmation to take the role permanently, a process made potentially contentious by the office's oversight of Clean Air Act programs and the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Exclusive: White House Poised To Nominate Justin Schwab To Lead EPA Air Office — Nomination Put On Hold After Szabo Stays
FILE PHOTO: A person walks toward the offices of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, days after U.S. President Donald Trump offered buyouts to thin the ranks of civil-service workers, in Washington, U.S., February 3, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
By Siddharth Cavale and Jarrett Renshaw
NEW YORK, July 29 (Reuters) - The White House had been preparing to nominate Justin Schwab, a senior adviser to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, to lead the EPA's influential Office of Air and Radiation, three people familiar with the plans told Reuters.
The effort stalled after current officeholder Aaron Szabo's planned move to a law firm collapsed at the last minute, one source said, effectively halting the nomination for now. The source added that Szabo attended a series of farewell gatherings with staff before deciding to remain in his post.
Szabo, who oversees the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, had planned to leave the agency on July 17 for a private-sector role. Following Reuters' inquiries about his status, the EPA said he was asked to stay "a little longer to help further advance the President's agenda and Power the Great American Comeback." The agency did not specify how long he would remain.
Schwab joined the EPA this month as a senior adviser after serving at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He previously served as deputy general counsel at the EPA during President Donald Trump's first term.
SENATE CONFIRMATION UNCERTAIN
To become the permanent head of the Office of Air and Radiation, Schwab would need a formal White House nomination followed by Senate confirmation. That path could be uncertain: the office oversees major Clean Air Act programs and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a contentious policy that often pits farm-state legislators and biofuel producers against oil-state interests and refiners.
"Any and all personnel announcements will be made directly by the Administration," a White House official said when asked about a potential nomination.
Schwab and Szabo did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An EPA spokesperson, replying to an email sent to Schwab's EPA account, said the agency was "excited to have Justin return to EPA and look forward to having him on the team as the agency continues to advance the President's agenda under Administrator Zeldin's leadership."
ETHICS AND PRIVATE-SECTOR TIES
Both Szabo and Schwab have ties to CGCN Group, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm. Szabo was named a partner at CGCN in 2018; that firm's clients have included the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, a trade group that has opposed stricter particulate pollution limits. Schwab lists himself on LinkedIn as founder of CGCN Law, an entity within CGCN providing specialized legal services. Those connections may be scrutinized if a nomination is pursued.
The situation remains fluid: the White House declined to announce personnel decisions, and the EPA has not provided a timeline for any potential nomination or transition.
(Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York and Jarrett Renshaw in Washington; additional reporting by Timothy McLaughlin in Boston; Editing by Liz Hampton and Rod Nickel)
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