EPA Chief Lee Zeldin to Speak at Heartland Institute Climate Forum

Event and Reaction

Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, will be the opening speaker at a conference next month sponsored by the Heartland Institute, a group that rejects the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change.

The organization has said speakers at the April forum will challenge the climate crisis “narrative.” Critics said Zeldin’s appearance risks lending the credibility of the federal government to fringe views about climate science.

Critics Raise Concerns

Scientists and William K. Reilly, who served as EPA administrator under President George H.W. Bush, expressed alarm at the decision. The Heartland Institute has argued there is “no such thing” as climate-driven floods, hurricanes and extreme heat.

“The choices that an administrator makes, where to go and who to talk to, is very significant,” Reilly said. He added that the only reason to address such a group would be to challenge its claims and remind it that the EPA is a science-based agency.

Administration Response

President Trump has routinely mocked climate change as a “hoax,” and his administration has rolled back protections for air and water while seeking to give up the power to regulate greenhouse gases.

In response to criticism, Brigit Hirsch, a spokeswoman for Zeldin, said in a statement that the administrator “takes the opportunity to speak before a wide variety of ideologically different groups and individuals to promote the agenda of the Trump E.P.A.”