{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Radio Chatskill","title":"New York Environmental Advocates React to Lee Zeldin Nomination to Lead the EPA","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":245,"description":"President-elect Donald Trump has named former Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency in his upcoming administration. New York environmental advocates and others are tempering their expectations as to how Zeldin’s leadership might affect the regional environment. Scenic Hudson Executive Director of Policy, Advocacy and Science Pete Lopez says the appointment of Zeldin to the EPA makes sense to him after working with him in the state legislature and when he was the EPA Region 2 administrator while Zeldin was in Congress.“He understands New York. My sense is that he has awareness and sensitivity to the region from a very broad perspective,” Lopez said.Protect The Adirondacks Executive Director Peter Bauer expects a very difficult time ahead.“I expect Lee Zeldin to be very zealous in gutting the Environmental Protection Agency. I don’t think that since the EPA has been around over the last 50 years, I don’t think we have ever encountered a leader of that agency who will be so strongly at odds with its historic mission and wants to completely change its role in public policy and environmental policy,” opines Bauer. “I think the combination of Zeldin and Trump is very worrying on a lot of levels.”At the Adirondack Council, spokesman John Sheehan says the nomination gives them some concerns but they want to keep an open mind.“The fact that he is from New York makes us hopeful that he will understand some of the issues facing the Adirondacks. While we haven’t always agreed in the past in terms of policy issues, I think there is an opportunity for access and for conversation to take place that could benefit the Adirondacks long term,” Sheehan said. “But ultimately, I think we want to do everything we can to keep things from moving backwards in terms of environmental protection and public health. And we’re going to have some work to do in the years ahead.”New York State Conservative Party Chair Jerry Kassar is delighted that Zeldin...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q7XXsnSXT_u4mZLCn3chUorwDmUD_kWiB272D6emB18/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80N2Uy/OGY5MWUwZThkYTEw/NDVkZGM2ZGZkZDIw/ZjliOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}