The Trump administration to lead the Rocky Mountain and Plains states鈥� division of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Cyrus Western, a Sheridan County Republican, served as a state representative for three terms until deciding not to run last year. He wanted more time to raise his newborn daughter, but now he鈥檚 balancing that with regulating extractive industries in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Montana, the Dakotas and 28 tribal nations.
鈥淲hen the president asks you to work for them, you don't say no,鈥� Western told Wyoming Public Radio.
He said his goal is to give states like Wyoming more voice at the table.
鈥淭hey're sick and tired of federal agencies coming in and thumping their chest and saying, 鈥榃e're the big, bad feds. We're going to tell you how it's going to be,鈥欌�� Western said.
Instead, he said he鈥檒l employ a kind of 鈥渃ooperative federalism,鈥� partnering with states to solve the issues that are important to them. He plans to find a 鈥渕iddle ground鈥� when it comes to implementing an restoring American energy dominance, while also protecting air and water.
鈥淚 think folks kind of try to frame this as a false binary,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ither you want to protect the environment and you鈥檙e anti-industry, or you鈥檙e pro-industry and you want to trash the environment. And I just fundamentally reject that dichotomy.鈥�
He said he can make sure the fossil fuel industry doesn鈥檛 have adverse health impacts on communities, while also protecting those middle-class jobs.
During his time as a lawmaker in 2020, Western came under fire when he posted on social media about the appointment of a county sheriff, who is Black, according to . Regardless, the state鈥檚 congressional delegation championed him for the EPA job.
鈥淎s a seasoned Wyoming legislator, Cyrus knows firsthand how we can protect America鈥檚 air, water, and land without suffocating our economy,鈥� Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) said in
Western said his main experience comes from his time in the Legislature, where he served on the Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee and worked with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, 糖心vlog传媒 in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the .