In a widely anticipated move, Lisa Jackson announced that she would be stepping down as EPA Administrator in January. Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe will serve as the Acting Administrator upon Jackson’s departure and is also widely speculated to be a top candidate to be nominated as her permanent replacement. In addition to his strong qualifications for the position, Perciasepe’s status as a frontrunner for the permanent post is also based on his perceived ability to pass through what is expected to be a contentious nomination debate in Congress. Other top candidates for the Administrator position being widely discussed include EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Gina McCarthy; former head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Kathleen McGinty; and California Air Resources Board Chairman, Mary Nichols.
The impacts of the change in EPA administration on drinking water policy are unclear, though the course is expected to largely follow (along with most other EPA policy) the current agenda set out under Administrator Jackson. With President Obama elected to a second term and Congress still split, debates over EPA policy are expected to continue in much the same manner as in 2012, with the Republican-led House waging numerous battles against EPA regulatory action.