EPA Chief to Headline Event by Group Denying Climate Crisis

Administrator Lee Zeldin to speak at Heartland Institute conference rejecting scientific consensus on climate change.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 10:05am

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Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, will be the opening speaker at a conference next month sponsored by the Heartland Institute, a group that rejects the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change, the organization has announced.

Why it matters

The decision to have the EPA chief speak at an event hosted by a group that denies climate change risks bestowing the credibility of the federal government on fringe theories, according to critics. This move is seen as a departure from the EPA's core mission of protecting human health and the environment.

The details

The Heartland Institute, which is sponsoring the event, describes itself as a think tank that promotes free-market solutions but does not disclose its funders. The group has received support from oil and gas interests and has argued that the burning of fossil fuels is not driving a climate crisis, contradicting established science.

  • The conference is scheduled to take place on April 8-9, 2026.

The players

Lee Zeldin

The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Trump administration.

Heartland Institute

A think tank that rejects the scientific consensus on climate change and argues that the burning of fossil fuels is not driving a crisis.

William Reilly

A former Republican EPA administrator who expressed alarm at the idea of the nation's chief environmental official speaking at an event for a research organization that argues there is 'no such thing' as climate-driven floods, hurricanes and extreme heat.

Andrew Dessler

A professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University who called it 'disappointing' to see the EPA align with a group that rejects climate science.

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What they’re saying

“The choices that an administrator makes, where to go and who to talk to, is very significant.”

— William Reilly, Former Republican EPA administrator

“The only reason to talk to a group like this one he's going to talk to is to call them out and correct them and remind them that EPA is a science-based agency.”

— William Reilly, Former Republican EPA administrator

“I would note that, because of its economic implications, climates science has been one of the most scrutinized and reproduced area of science in history, and it has held up remarkably well under that scrutiny. That alone means it deserves to be taken far more seriously than the EPA appears to be taking it.”

— Andrew Dessler, Professor of atmospheric sciences, Texas A&M University

What’s next

The EPA administrator's speech at the Heartland Institute conference on April 8-9, 2026 is expected to draw significant scrutiny and criticism from climate scientists and environmental advocates.

The takeaway

The decision by the EPA administrator to speak at an event hosted by a group that denies the scientific consensus on climate change raises concerns about the agency's commitment to its core mission of protecting human health and the environment, and the potential for the federal government to lend credibility to fringe theories that contradict established science.