U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) questioned Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy on Tuesday about recent energy job losses in Wyoming.
McCarthy was testifying before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee regarding the EPA’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2017.
Barrasso questioned McCarthy about statements she made earlier this month saying, “I can’t find one single bit of evidence that we have destroyed an industry or significantly impacted jobs other than in a positive way.”
Barrasso asked if, based on that quote, McCarthy does not believe the EPA is responsible for any of the recent coal industry job losses.
McCarthy said the EPA should do everything that it can to help communities during an energy market shift.
She added she believes the challenges faced by communities and workers in the energy sector are primarily due to a shift in the market, rather than the result of EPA regulations.
See Barrasso and McCarthy’s exchange in the video above.