Biden plans to nominate Michael Regan as EPA chief

President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate Michael Regan, head of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, two people familiar with the choice tell CBS News.

The 44-year-old Regan would be the first Black man to lead the EPA, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He emerged as a top contender in recent days, impressing the Biden-Harris transition team with his work in North Carolina, according to one of the people familiar with the decision.

He has served as North Carolina's top environmental protection official since 2017 and is most widely known for negotiating a multibillion-dollar settlement with Duke Energy over a coal ash cleanup in the state. 

A formal announcement of the nomination is expected by Saturday.

In:
• Joe Biden
• United States Environmental Protection Agency

Ed O'Keefe

Ed O'Keefe is CBS News senior White House and political correspondent. He previously worked for The Washington Post covering presidential campaigns, Congress and federal agencies. His primary focus is on President Biden, Vice President Harris and political issues across the country.

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