EPA Transition Update: Administrator Zeldin Identifies Five Pillars Of Priority (With Details TBD)

On February 4, 2025, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency's Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative, signaling five pillars that will guide EPA's work in the short term, which are summarized below:

Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American

Zeldin repeated various priorities from the first Trump term, focusing on the core EPA missions around air and water quality, conservation, and hazardous waste cleanup. EPA will "remain committed to these priorities . . . as well as ensuring emergency response efforts are helping Americans get back on their feet in the quickest and safest way possible."

This first "pillar" could signal a return to the first Trump term's focus on the Superfund program and Brownfields redevelopment, particularly at sites with potential for beneficial reuse and accompanying economic opportunity. Notably, Zeldin made his first site visit as EPA Administrator to East