washington senate environment public work committee wednesday approve four nominees key post environmental protection agency include one appointee tie chemical industry head agency office chemical safety senator tom carper top democrat committee say two nominees grave concern bill wehrum nominate assistant administrator office air radiation michael dourson head office chemical safety pollution prevention carper call dourson one trouble nominees ever consider time committee senator jam inhofe oil-producing oklahoma panel senior republican praise passage nominees urge full senate quickly confirm improve public health within scope epa authority republicans say epa former president barack obama overstep authority regulate scott pruitt president donald trump epa administrator say agency activist agenda former president barack obama pruitt work away regulations push obama administration propose scrap landmark clean power plan seek curb emissions link climate change pruitt sue agency dozen time oklahoma attorney general jeff holmstead former head epa air radiation office former president george w. bush say wehrum ideal person shepherd administrator pruitt reform regulatory process environmentalists call full senate reject nominees four nominees especially wehrum dourson would accelerate scott pruitt mission dismantle epa inside say sara chieffo vice president government affairs league conservation voters nominees approve panel matthew leopold assistant administrator office general counsel david ross office water u.s. senate panel approve controversial epa nominees