On February 6, 2025, the Trump Administration announced the appointment of Scott Mason IV as regional EPA Administrator for Region 6. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Region 6 covers Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and 66 Tribal Nations.
Mason is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a 5th generation Oklahoman who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Oklahoma. Mason previously served as the Director of EPA's American Indian Environmental Office during President Trump's first administration. He was also a member of the White House Council on Native American Affairs, where he served as co-chair of the Council's Committee on Infrastructure. Mason was most recently the Deputy Secretary of Energy of Oklahoma. He has served at the local, state, and federal levels of government in various capacities, including as a vice president and the executive director of federal programs at the University of Oklahoma and on the staff of the Oklahoma Governor.
In a press release announcing the appointment, EPA Administrator Zeldin said, "[Mason] brings with him over twenty years of government experience at all levels, as well as having served as EPA's director of the American Indian Environmental Office. He is the right person we need leading Region 6. [Mason] has the knowledge, talent, and dedication needed to succeed, and I am ready to get to work with him."
Mason responded, "I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of [Region 6] who are looking to EPA to fulfill our mission to protect human health and the environment while fostering economic growth. As someone with deep roots in this region, I am committed to working hard each and every day to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve by implementing the President's agenda and the Administrator's 'Powering the Great American Comeback' Initiative."
Administrator Zeldin's "Powering the Great American Comeback" Initiative outlines the EPA's priorities under his and President Trump's leadership. The Initiative will guide EPA's work over the first 100 days and beyond, and it consists of five pillars:
- Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American
- Pillar 2: Restore American Energy Dominance
- Pillar 3: Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership
- Pillar 4: Make the United States the Artificial Intelligence Capital of the World
- Pillar 5: Protecting and Bringing Back American Auto Jobs
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