EPA Appoints Maui County Councilmember King to Local Government Advisory Committee

US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan has appointed Councilmember Kelly Takaya King to the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee.

King and 33 other appointees were chosen by Regan from a pool of 150 nominations. She is the only person chosen from Hawaiʻi for the 39-member committee, which includes 20 women and 16 people of color.

The committee is composed of councilmembers, mayors and other elected and appointed officials from 30 states, Tribal nations and US territories. The appointees represent a diverse cross-section of cities, counties, towns and communities across the United States, Regan said yesterday in a statement.

Chartered in 1993 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) provides independent policy advice to the EPA on a broad range of issues affecting municipalities and their residents, Regan said.

“I take seriously this opportunity to provide guidance on environmental and climate change impacts to local governments, proactive rather than reactive infrastructure, promotion of circular economies and methods to improve quality of life for communities big and small,” said King, who is in her third term holding the Maui County Council’s South Maui residency seat. “As the only appointee from Hawai‘i, it is my privilege and great responsibility to provide our islands a voice and representation at the table.”

King also serves on the Hawai‘i State Association of Counties’ executive committee, as a member of the Maui Nui Food Alliance Steering Committee and on the board of directors for ICLEI USA and the National Association of Counties’ Western Interstate Region. She previously served on the Hawai‘i Renewable Energy Alliance and the Hawai‘i Technology Development Corp.

King chairs the Maui County Council’s Climate Action, Resilience and Environment Committee and has authored legislation to express the council’s support for sustainable tourism, a transition to a circular economy, the Paris Climate Accord and the THRIVE Agenda, “Transform, Heal and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy.”

In the council’s annual budget sessions, King said she is a consistent advocate for recycling, wastewater reuse, open space acquisition, smart growth and environmental protection.

The LGAC will hold their first meeting this fall. For more information about the LGAC, please visit https://www.epa.gov/ocir/local-government-advisory-committee-lgac.