WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee chemical safety at the Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn his nomination after bipartisan opposition made his Senate confirmation unlikely.
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A White House official told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Michael Dourson has removed his name from consideration to serve as head of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
North Carolina’s two Republican senators said last month they would vote against Dourson’s nomination after The Associated Press and other media outlets detailed his past work as a toxicologist hired to defend major chemical companies. Senate Democrats are united in opposition.
The EPA’s press office did not respond to requests for comment.
