Michael S. Regan, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator

October 25, 2024-Few moments are as profound as when parents learn they are expecting a child. Alongside the joy, a tidal wave of worry often follows. What kind of world will our child grow up in? Will they have clean air to breathe? Safe water to drink? Will they grow up in an environment in which they can thrive? 

As a father, these concerns hit home. As the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, they drive my passion. 

Understanding the connection between environmental pollution and health has made me more knowledgeable about how to protect my son. It has also crystallized for me how important a strong EPA is to prevent contamination, respond to growing environmental threats, and to protect our children. Science has long shown that exposure to pollution can impair a child’s development, stunt their growth, and cause lifelong health challenges. 

As EPA Administrator, this fuels my resolve to fight for policies and historic funding that not only protects my own child, but creates a healthier world for generations to come. That’s why I wake up every day determined to protect our most vulnerable—our growing babies and kids—from environmental harms. This isn’t just a lofty goal. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, we are delivering on promises with real results that will change lives and futures. 

Since I became EPA Administrator, I’ve worked alongside a motivated team of scientists, policy makers, health specialists, and community leaders. Together, we use the best available science to determine and address the greatest threats to children’s health, especially in disadvantaged communities that have been neglected for far too long. 

One issue that hits close to home is air quality near and in our schools. As someone who grew up with asthma, I remember all too well the hazy days when I had to stay indoors to protect my health. As a parent, I’ve worried that my son might face the same struggles because of respiratory health issues. 

To protect our children, we must reduce the harmful emissions that worsen our air quality. EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, which is investing $5 billion to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and clean school buses. These school bus replacements are creating the future that our children deserve – a future with cleaner air on the bus, in bus loading areas, and in the communities in which they operate. Tomorrow’s buses for today’s children. 

So far, we’ve directed nearly $3 billion to replace approximately 8,700 buses nationwide in more than 1,300 school districts. 

We’ve also made tremendous strides in tackling another serious threat to our children – lead in our drinking water. There is no safe level of lead, and for young children, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Even low levels of exposure can damage the brain and nervous system, impairing growth and causing learning disabilities and behavioral problems. 

President Biden and Vice President Harris have set a bold goal of replacing 100% of lead service lines in our country, and together with EPA’s recently finalized lead and copper rule, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making that possible. With $15 billion from BIL, EPA has already begun transforming communities, replacing pipes, and ensuring that every American family can trust the water coming from their taps. Safe drinking water is not a luxury—it’s a basic right, and we have delivered on that promise for over 6 million households. 

At EPA, we continue to monitor and research all chemicals and pollutants believed to damage the health of people in the environment. Chrysotile asbestos, used for decades in construction and industrial products, has long been on that list—leading to over 40,000 deaths in the U.S each year. Early life-exposure can result in devastating cancers and other health issues. Thanks to decisive action by the Biden-Harris Administration, EPA has now banned all uses of asbestos, securing another major victory for public health and safety. 

This is what real progress looks like. 

At the heart of all these efforts is a simple hope: that every child can grow up happy, healthy, and safe. This is why our Office of Children’s Health Protection works to advance policies and decisions that prioritize the environmental health and safety of all children. However, as the effects of climate change make themselves more evident, and pollution worsens, it will take community-wide, nationwide, and global efforts to protect children’s health and well-being. 

We owe it to our children to show them that environmental degradation is not their burden alone to bear. It’s ours to fix, here and now. Together, we can build a future where every child—regardless of the color of their skin, the community they live in, or the money in their pocket—has clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and the opportunity to live a healthy life.

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Michael S. Regan is the 16th Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.