President-elect Trump taps Long Island's Lee Zeldin to run EPA 

WASHINGTON — Former Long Island congressman Lee Zeldin has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

Zeldin, a Shirley Republican, announced the appointment on social media Monday afternoon, calling it “an honor." In an interview with Fox News he promised to pursue a pro-business agenda at the EPA.

In a statement to Newsday, Zeldin said: “As a proud Long Islander I am looking forward to serving in President Trump’s cabinet as EPA Administrator. Together, we will restore American energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, lead the world in Artificial Intelligence advancements, and cut through the red tape holding back our workers from greater economic mobility – all while conserving our environment, ensuring clean air and water access, and protecting the health of the American people.”

The appointment was one of several announced by Trump’s presidential transition team on Monday. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville), the top ranking House Republican in the state, was named United Nations ambassador, and longtime Trump adviser Stephen Miller will serve as deputy White House chief of staff. Tom Homan, who previously served as head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in Trump’s first term, was named late Sunday as Trump’s "border czar."

Zeldin’s appointment comes after years as one of Trump’s most visible backers — he served on Trump’s impeachment defense team, delivered prime-time speeches in support of Trump during the 2020 and 2024 Republican National Conventions and frequently appears on Fox News in support of Trump. Zeldin voted against certifying the 2020 election and challenged the constitutionality of electoral votes from several states.

Zeldin, who previously represented New York’s  1st Congressional District spanning Long Island’s East End, ran unsuccessfully against Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022, but his loss by 6.4 percentage points was one of the closest New York gubernatorial races in decades. State Republicans often credited him with helping House Republicans in New York to flip six congressional districts won by President Joe Biden in 2020.

In an interview on Fox News, Zeldin said he would follow Trump's pro-business agenda at the EPA.

"There are regulations that the left wing of this country have been advocating through regulatory power that ends up causing businesses to go in the wrong direction," he said. "And President Trump when, he called me up, gosh, he was rattling off 15-20 different priorities, clear focus."

Groups that advocate for environmental policies have given low ratings to Zeldin's voting record in the House. In 2023, for example, the League of Conservation Voters gave his voting record on environmental legislation a 12 on a scale of 100, and a lifetime voting record of 14.

The League of Conservation Voters said it plans to scrutinize Zeldin's views at his confirmation hearing.

“Trump made his anti-climate action, anti-environment agenda very clear during his first term and again during his 2024 campaign," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, the League of Conservation Voter's senior vice president for government affairs in a statement.

Ben Jealous, Sierra Club executive director, called Zeldin "unqualified" to be the EPA director. "Our lives, our livelihoods, and our collective future cannot afford Lee Zeldin — or anyone who seeks to carry out a mission antithetical to the EPA’s mission," Jealous said in a statement.

But Long Island leaders interviewed by Newsday lauded his work on several local initiatives, including garnering federal support for the preservation of Plum Island.

State GOP chairman Ed Cox celebrated Zeldin’s appointment in a statement: "Lee has proven himself time and again to be a dedicated public servant."

Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who worked with Zeldin when he was in Congress, said in a statement to Newsday that Zeldin would be good for Long Island.

"Lee Zeldin was always a reliable proponent of protecting the Long Island Sound, and Plum island, and cleaning polluted sites to protect our groundwater on Long Island," Suozzi said. "I know he will be a great advocate for Long Island's air, land and water."

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of not-for-profit Citizens Campaign Fund for the Environment in Farmingdale, praised Zeldin for the work on the environment he has done on Long Island dating back to when he was a state senator.

"The good news is: He lives here. He understands that climate change is real. He understands the value of protecting coastal waters, estuaries, the marine environment and drinking water. I know that because I worked with him on all those issues," Esposito told Newsday in a phone call. 

"The first Trump administration was an environmental nightmare. We're hoping and we need Lee Zeldin to bring perspective and strength to the Trump administration to do the right thing here and protect us," Esposito said. "We're hoping that all the work he's done for his constituents will carry over into the federal policy."

Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) applauded Zeldin’s nomination, citing his work with Zeldin in the state legislature and the House.

"Lee has been a dedicated advocate on critical environmental issues in New York, from combating coastal erosion and storm damage on Fire Island to supporting clean water initiatives," Garbarino said in a statement.