President Obama has tapped Gina McCarthy, current assistant administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Air and Radiation, to serve as the agency's administrator. Obama also picked Ernest Moniz, former undersecretary of energy during the Clinton administration and currently a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to lead the Dept. of Energy.
While both are expected to be confirmed, some environmental groups have expressed reservations about Moniz's support for natural-gas development and nuclear power. McCarthy could face some tough questioning from lawmakers about upcoming EPA regulations, including rules on post-construction stormwater, ozone and fracking emissions, says Leah Pilconis, Associated General Contractors of America senior environmental adviser.