Suffolk County’s own, former Congressman Lee Zeldin, has been confirmed by the United States Senate and was sworn in as the EPA Administrator serving in President Donald Trump's administration. From William Floyd High School to the White House, Zeldin has led a life of public service.
“It is my honor to serve as the 17th Environmental Protection Agency Administrator. Under President Trump’s leadership, we will take great strides to defend every American’s access to clean air, clean water, and clean land,” said the William Floyd High School graduate. “We will maintain and expand the gold standard of environmental stewardship and conservation that President Trump set forth in his first administration while also prioritizing economic prosperity.”
New York State Conservative Party Chairman, Gerry Kassar, has nothing but praise and high hopes for Zeldin, “I feel very happy for him as a person and for the nation on a larger level. I think he can articulate, activate, and administer President Trump's views on the environment, which are, in my view, very even-handed. He seeks to protect the environment, but also will have an understanding that many of the regulations suffocate businesses and the ability for people to find work.”
Kassar makes no secret of being a friend and supporter of Zeldin and having urged him to run for Governor against Hochul. “I think we're very fortunate. I want to see what he does. I'm very confident,” said Kasser.
The EPA vastly overreached during the Biden Administration, creating a counterproductive regulatory environment that suppressed billions of dollars in economic growth. Citing his view that Zeldin has the smarts and temperament to find the proper balance between “environmental conservation and hysteria” Kassar was clear that “this is what people want.”
Many within the environmental community have “drifted a little bit past what the science says, and have swerved more into the realm of a wonkish set of ideas that, that may sound good on paper, such as wind energy,” says Kassar.
Wind energy is not a bad idea, but it hasn't been shown to work at the levels advocates want us to believe. It is the same with electric cars and other alternative energy such as solar panels. These methods have their place in the energy chain, but they cannot take the lead. And, people should not be forced to use energy sources that don't want or don’t consider reliable and affordable.
Kassar believes that Zeldin will be sympathetic and careful in working to protect the environment. “I think when you grow up along waterways, regardless of party, everybody wants clean air and clean water, but we want it in a practical way that doesn't cripple the economy.”
“He’s very close to the Pine Barrens, which is closely guarded as it protects the aqua filter out on Long Island. He has worked within that complicated environment. I'm certain that he will look at the job as more than strictly from an environmental perspective, not an environmentalist perspective,” Kassar added.
During his eight years in Congress, Zeldin worked across party lines to preserve Long Island Sound and Plum Island. He supported key legislation that became historic, bipartisan success stories like the Great American Outdoors Act and Save Our Seas Act to clean up plastics from our oceans. He also led the fight for Sea Grant, combated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, voted for the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, and supported clean energy projects on Long Island.