Aaron Szabo, the head of air pollution policy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is set to resign from his position later this month, agency officials confirmed.
Szabo told staff on Tuesday that he will leave his role as assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, according to reporting by Bloomberg that cited an unnamed EPA employee. The EPA confirmed the departure to Bloomberg. Szabo himself did not provide a public reason for his decision to step down.
Szabo served in the leadership role for approximately one year. During his tenure, he oversaw a series of regulatory rollbacks at the agency. Most notably, under his leadership the EPA formally rescinded the endangerment finding - the scientific determination that climate change poses a threat to human health and welfare.
The repeal of that scientific finding has drawn legal challenges. Multiple state attorneys general and environmental organizations have filed lawsuits against the EPA over the action. The endangerment finding had been characterized as a landmark scientific conclusion used to underpin federal climate regulations.
In response to questions about Szabo's resignation, EPA spokesperson Brigit Hirsch expressed gratitude for his work, saying his team "has been responsible for saving Americans trillions of dollars by cutting unnecessary red tape." The agency did not provide information on who will fill the Senate-confirmed position after Szabo leaves.
Szabo's departure leaves the Office of Air and Radiation without its Senate-confirmed leader at a moment when the agency faces ongoing litigation tied to its recent policy changes. The lawsuits named in response to the repeal of the endangerment finding remain active, and the agency has not publicly outlined plans for transitioning leadership in the assistant administrator slot.
Context and immediate facts
- Aaron Szabo informed staff on a Tuesday that he will resign later this month.
- The agency confirmed the departure to Bloomberg; Szabo did not cite a reason.
- During about one year in the role, Szabo oversaw the formal rescission of the endangerment finding, prompting legal challenges from multiple state attorneys general and environmental groups.