EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson stepping down

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson addresses the White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Department of Interior December 5, 2012 in Washington, D.C. / Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Updated 11:20 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON Environmental Protection Agency Administration Lisa Jackson says she's stepping down after nearly four years on the job.

Jackson announced her departure in a statement Thursday. She gave no particular reason for leaving but said she was ready for new challenges, time with her family and new opportunities to make a difference.

Jackson's tenure was marked by high-profile brawls with industry and congressional Republicans over such issues a global warming pollution, the Keystone XL oil pipeline and new controls on coal-fired plants.

She says she's leaving the agency, in her words, "confident the ship is sailing in the right direction."

In a written statement, President Obama said, "Under her leadership, the EPA has taken sensible and important steps to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink, including implementing the first national standard for harmful mercury pollution, taking important action to combat climate change under the Clean Air Act, and playing a key role in establishing historic fuel economy standards that will save the average American family thousands of dollars at the pump, while also slashing carbon pollution."

Jackson is expected to leave after the State of the Union address in late January. Cabinet members looking to move on often leave at the beginning of a president's second term.

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[marychgo]

Thank you, Lisa Jackson, for four years of dedicated and intelligent service to the people of the United States! Sorry that many of us are so short-sighted that they don't understand that they (and their children and grandchildren) will benefit from the results of your hard work and toughness for generations.

[lami987]

She was a good EPA chief. She increase car efficiency significantly. She fought industrial pollutions and global warming as hard as she could. Too bad too many greedy U.S. industries are controlling our politicians especially the republicans. Those industries not just pollute but they also underpay their workers. Their executives earn millions while workers earn peanuts.

[HoldOnAMinute]

I'd like to send her an e-mail thanking her for her service. I understand it's kind of hard getting to her using her "epa" e-mail account. Does anyone know the complete address for her "Richard Windsor" account or will I have to wait for the congressional testimony later this month to learn it?

[RealWorldNow]

Good job CBS, for not mentioning the phony email accounts she was using, bias thru omission!

[luadda22]

smartalecq replies: Words of wisdom from a tea bagger. I wonder how much your electric bill will be when your house is 10 feet under water?
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While I don't know about "cleantheDCcesspool", but if my house is "10 feet under water" you better hope someone close to you built an ark.

[smartalecq]

Listen to you, "We don't need clean air. We just need jobs." Hmmm maybe you should move to China. Lots of jobs and air pollution there.

[treehgr07]

Best wishes, Madame Secretary. You have done a good job and I hope the next Secretary will also enforce the laws of the USA. Some people foolishly think all regulations should be ignored if it brings jobs, even if the jobs are short term and poorly paying. These people forget that ultimately WE must live with the consequences of the havoc wrecked on the environment. If the air and water are too polluted to sustain life then we will be too sick to work anywhere. We must require that businesses operate within the laws and this will result in enterprising company development in these areas.

[JustOne-View]

Obama and these democrats KNOW that they can play to the emotions of the none thinking and none critical left and win POWER. They are masters at exploiting the "feelings" groups. "We will save the earth, we will save the environment, we will feed the poor, WE care and THEY don't. It is so easy to use these kinds of people; children who base their actions on emotion and feeling rather then reality and critical thinking. It is about emotions and good intentions over effective results. The EPA is a huge and ineffective burden on our taxes. The waist that needs cleaned up is in the EPA it's self. I KNOW someone who works for them and HE see the joke!! But he is happy to draw his over the top pay for doing almost NOTHING. The joke is people believe that because it says we care that anyone REALLY cares! And our money goes to waist and corruption....AGAIN! THIS is what Obama want MORE OF!!!!
They KNOW that people vote based on emotion and feelings. So, they need not fear ever being questioned. Their real motives are so well hidden behind their MASKS. One parasite is leaving office and a much bigger parasite is going to be put in that over payed position. Just friends taking their share of the wealth that someone else has worked hard for and EARNED.

[tb91006]

Just another corrupt person from the Obama administration getting caught yet not being prosecuted. They should all be in prison including Obama.

[smartalecq]

Bush and Cheney should go to prison for manufacturing intelligence to go to Iraq. A war for Haliburton and conservative owned contractors.

[tsigili]

The EPA is doing all it can to prevent any business from operating in America.

How we expect to provide for Americans, without any jobs, is a question they choose to ignore.

[smartalecq]

Listen to you, "We don't need clean air. We just need jobs." Hmmm maybe you should move to China. Lots of jobs and air pollution there.