Former coal lobbyist takes over EPA from embattled chief Pruitt

The new head of the EPA is a former Senate staffer who has worked behind the scenes to quash climate change legislation and promote coal.

Andrew Wheeler, 53, now the Environmental Protection Agency’s No. 2 official, will take over Monday as acting administrator following the resignation of Scott Pruitt. Wheeler could bring a quiet effectiveness to the top job that some environmentalists say they fear will make him a more formidable foe than Pruitt.