Chemical-industry alumni running EPA's chemical office: Nancy Beck, Lynn Dekleva and others (2017-2026) Case Two veterans of the first Trump administration who came from the American Chemistry Council, Nancy Beck and Lynn Dekleva, returned to EPA's chemical-safety office in 2025. Reporting says EPA's ethics office cleared them to work on issues involving former clients. Critics cite their records of weakening chemical rules; EPA calls them fantastic choices, and former officials note industry ties are not unique to this administration. Who they are and where they came from Nancy Beck, a former American Chemistry Council employee, oversaw EPA chemical policy during Trump's first term. She was reappointed in 2025 as a senior adviser to EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention; before rejoining, she worked as a director of regulatory science at the law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth. Lynn Ann Dekleva served as associate deputy assistant administrator for new chemicals in the first term and returned in 2025 as deputy assistant administrator in the same office. E&E News reports she was a senior director at the American Chemistry Council in 2023, and had earlier worked for DuPont, which The Hill reports was for about 30 years. Documents E&E News obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show EPA's ethics office recently cleared Beck and Dekleva to work on particular toxics-law issues involving their former clients. What critics say about their earlier tenure E&E News reports that while Beck worked in the first Trump White House, she pressured EPA to write loopholes into PFAS regulations. Maria Doa, a former EPA chemical official who served for several decades including part of the first Trump administration, told The Hill that Beck tried to weaken the science surrounding toxic chemicals. According to New York Times reporting summarized by Environmental Health News, rules on harmful chemicals such as PFAS and asbestos were weakened under Beck's earlier leadership, and Dekleva faced accusations of pressuring staff to approve chemicals with limited scrutiny. The same summary reports that the chemical industry had already asked the Trump administration to roll back Biden-era chemical safety rules, including restrictions on trichloroethylene and asbestos and drinking-water standards for PFAS. Perspectives Official position — EPA spokesperson (as quoted by E&E News) In response to conflict-of-interest questions, an EPA spokesperson said President Trump made fantastic choices in selecting Dekleva and Beck. The ethics office cleared them to work on issues involving their former clients. Expert view — Matthew Tejada, former EPA career official (as quoted by The Hill) Tejada, who worked in EPA's environmental justice office, noted that officials with industry ties are not unique to Trump's administrations, even as critics focus on this one. Critic — Natural Resources Defense Council (Daniel Rosenberg) and former EPA staff Rosenberg, the NRDC's director of federal toxics policy, warned that the weakening of health protections from toxic chemicals was imminent after the appointments. Former EPA staff say Beck's earlier tenure tilted chemical policy toward industry. Editorial read — The Author (site author), thesis The Author's reading: this is the chemical-industry counterpart to the oil and gas insiders running the energy agencies. People who represented the industry now oversee how it is regulated, in some cases for the second time, and the industry has asked for rollbacks. This is interpretation. No ethics office, inspector general or court has found misconduct, and the entry does not show any specific decision was driven by a former employer. Note No ethics office, inspector general or court has found that either official acted improperly, and critics' accounts of their earlier tenure come from reporting and former EPA staff. Sources [1] E&E News — MAHA report targets chemical industry revolving door, without mentioning EPA (https://www.eenews.net/articles/maha-report-targets-chemical-industry-revolving-door-without-mentioning-epa/) [2] E&E News — Can Trump 'Make America Healthy Again' with this EPA? (https://www.eenews.net/articles/can-trump-make-america-healthy-again-with-this-epa/) [3] Environmental Health News — Two Trump-era chemical industry allies return to EPA (summarizing the New York Times) (https://www.ehn.org/two-trump-era-chemical-industry-allies-return-to-e-p-a-sparking-concerns-over-weakened-rules-2670976663.html) · 2025-01 [4] Chemical Processing — Two former American Chemistry Council employees appointed to EPA (https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/environmental-health-safety/news/55263435/two-former-american-chemistry-council-employees-appointed-to-epa) · 2025-01 [5] The Hill (via Yahoo) — Trump packs EPA with chemical, oil industry alumni (https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-packs-epa-chemical-oil-212921363.html) Connections Related — Chemical accident rules: the 2019 rescission, the 2024 rule, the 2026 rollback proposal and the push to close the Chemical Safety Board Both involve chemical-safety rules the chemical industry asked the Trump EPA to weaken, though they sit in different EPA offices. Same context — Oil and gas insiders running the energy agencies: Wright, Burgum, and the appointee pipeline The chemical-industry counterpart to the oil and gas insiders entry; that entry mentions Beck in one bullet. Related — PFAS in drinking water: EPA's proposals to rescind four standards and delay PFOA and PFOS compliance (2025-2026) That entry covers the chemical-industry alumni running EPA's chemical-safety office, where PFAS policy is also set. Related — Synthesis: profit over public protection, from East Palestine to the EPA (2017-2026) The personnel link in the chain for chemicals.