Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, is set to kick off a high profile gathering of climate skeptics in Washington, D.C., in April, and critics are not exactly thrilled. He is scheduled to open the Heartland Institute’s International Conference on Climate Change, a meeting organized by a group that openly insists there is no climate crisis, a stance that has alarmed climate scientists and at least one former Republican EPA chief.
The Heartland Institute’s conference agenda lists Zeldin as the morning plenary speaker on April 8 at the Hotel Washington in downtown Washington. The group promotes the two day meeting as an opportunity to "examine data rather than the propagation of dogma," language featured on its event materials.
As reported by The New York Times, the announcement drew sharp criticism from scientists and former regulators. William K. Reilly, who led the EPA under a Republican president, told the paper, "The choices that an administrator makes, where to go and who to talk to, is very significant."
Who’s on the program
Heartland’s lineup mixes longtime climate contrarians, conservative officials and familiar media voices. The roster posted online includes Judith Curry, Will Happer, John Clauser, Steve Milloy and Willie Soon, alongside political speakers and influencers. The full list of speakers and session times appears on the group’s published schedule, which also shows Zeldin slated for the morning plenary on day one.
Why critics say it matters
Critics point to the timing. Zeldin has been steering the agency toward sweeping deregulatory moves, including a push to rescind the 2009 endangerment finding that underpins federal climate rules. Analysis from E&E News says those steps could invite lawsuits and leave major climate safeguards vulnerable to reversal.
Zeldin’s appearance at Heartland is poised to become a test case for how the EPA balances outreach to sympathetic critics with its responsibility to mainstream science and public health. Environmental groups and legal experts say they will be watching not only what he tells the crowd in Washington, but what regulatory moves follow once the speeches are over.
