Biden Closes In on Picks for Key Environmental Posts

President-elect Joe Biden is nearing a final decision on environment-related jobs that are being watched closely by the energy industry as well as progressives who are concerned about Mr. Biden’s commitment to ambitious climate policies and diversity. Mr. Biden is expected to announce as soon as later this week his nominees to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department, as well as a senior White House official in charge of coordinating domestic climate-change policies, people familiar with the matter said. Advisers to the president-elect said he hadn’t yet finalized his picks, but leading contenders are emerging. Mr. Biden is balancing several factors, including diversity, gender and geography, the people said, along with expertise in areas like environmental justice, which calls for laws and regulations to treat historically disadvantaged groups fairly. Much of the decision-making is connected, with choices for some posts influencing who gets chosen for others. Rep. Deb Haaland (D., N.M.) is a leading contender for Interior secretary, according to people familiar with the matter. If confirmed, she would be the first Native American cabinet secretary. Activists and progressives are pushing for a Native American to run the agency, which oversees federal lands and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Ms. Haaland’s stock has risen among some of Mr. Biden’s advisers in recent days. But some Democrats in Congress have raised concerns about losing another lawmaker to the administration because of their slim majority in the House. Ms. Haaland and Biden teams are in discussions, but no offer has been made, according to a person familiar with the matter. Retiring Sen. Tom Udall (D., N.M.), whose father served as Interior secretary, is also among the potential candidates, as is former Deputy Interior Secretary Michael Connor, who also has Native American heritage...WSJ