Jeff Holmstead, who served as a top official in the Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush, is expected to be picked to be the second in command at the EPA, Axios reported.
While no final decision has been made, Holmstead is the only serious contender for the post, the website noted. He currently serves as a partner at the law and lobbying firm Bracewell, according to Axios.
And until recently Holmstead was a registered lobbyist on EPA and Energy Department issues, the website reported.
The White House has recommended him and EPA Chief Scott Pruitt likes him, Axios said.
Considered a moderate, Holmstead is the former head of the EPA's air pollution office under Bush, The Hill noted.
"He has stated that the Obama administration's 2009 finding that greenhouse gases are a danger to public health and welfare — the linchpin for climate change regulation by the EPA — should not be reconsidered, a position that conservatives oppose," The Hill's Timothy Cama noted.
Holmstead's nomination would be subject to confirmation by the Senate, he said.
The Daily Caller reported conservative groups are likely to oppose his nomination.
"We're trying to work behind the scenes to block him," a conservative movement source told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
Conservatives see him as part of the D.C. "swamp" who "not only went native," but "seemed to want to go native," The Daily Caller said.
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