POLL: Voters Want Sen. Collins to Oppose the Confirmation of a Coal Lobbyist to Run EPA

A new poll from EDF Action shows that Mainers overwhelmingly oppose President Trump’s nomination of a former coal lobbyist, Andrew Wheeler, to run the Environmental Protection Agency. With a confirmation vote expected shortly, 52 percent of Maine voters want Senator Susan Collins to oppose Wheeler, compared with only 26 percent who support the confirmation.

“Maine families care about clean air and water, so I think it’s a shock to them that a former coal lobbyist might be put in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency. Senator Collins is someone who has been a constructive voice on clean air and climate issues, so we are hopeful she will see the danger of putting a coal lobbyist in charge of protecting the environment,” said Joe Bonfiglio, President of EDF Action.

Jim Williams, of Public Policy Polling, which conducted and analyzed the poll, added, “Our poll shows that voting to put a corporate lobbyist in charge of our environment would be out of step with the people in this state. Maine is traditionally a pro-environment state and voting to confirm Wheeler is likely to prove deeply unpopular.”

The survey of 814 Maine voters ran from January 31 to February 3, 2019.  A memo on the poll can be seen here.