"EPA has sent a number of political officials to its regional offices, including a former top aide to Administrator Michael Regan.
John Nicholson is chief of staff for EPA Region 4, with its main office in Atlanta. The Southeast branch oversees EPA operations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Nicholson, who started last month at EPA, was chief deputy secretary for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Regan named Nicholson to that role in 2017 when the former was the department’s secretary.
Nicholson is a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel who served on active duty for 28 years. He also has been the military affairs adviser to former North Carolina Govs. Bev Perdue (D) and Pat McCrory (R)."
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