It is not unusual to see Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on the road.
“Over the course of my first nine-and-a-half months [as administrator], I had the opportunity to visit all 50 states,” Zeldin said.
What You Need To Know
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin revived his call to reverse New York State’s fracking ban
He urged New York State leadership to greenlight the controversial Constitution Pipeline
President Donald Trump has accused Gov. Kathy Hochul of going back on a purported promise to approve the pipeline in exchange for the federal government lifting stop-work orders on New York wind projects
When he took the podium to address a modest group of local journalists in Binghamton, New York, on Monday morning, he explained what made his most recent trip unique.
“I’m here as a very proud New Yorker, lifelong New Yorker, still a New Yorker. I love this place,” he told the group.
Spectrum News tagged along as Zeldin made a four-day trip across New York State from Friday to Monday. The journey spanned from the Long Island Sound to the Southern Tier.
While the five stops Zeldin made were wide-ranging, the one throughline was his contempt for many of the state’s current climate laws. Time and again he offered a vision for the state differing from that of Democrats.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Zeldin said. “There have been so many jobs outsourced out of this state. So much of the American dream, outsourced out of New York. New York has been leading the nation alongside California on outmigration.”
Zeldin’s first stop was in Oyster Bay, where he toured the Long Island Sound by boat and discussed preservation projects.
After that, he moved to SUNY Stony Brook to review research on new PFAS destruction technologies. He then accompanied campaigning Republican Rep. Mike Lawler to an EPA event on food composting in the Hudson Valley.
Zeldin went on to host events in Binghamton and Syracuse before capping the tour with a stop at MSG, where he watched the Knicks play alongside President Donald Trump.
In Binghamton, Zeldin revived his call for the state to reverse its more than decade-old ban on fracking — a process which extracts natural gas.
“I’ve seen how downtowns all across upstate New York have been heading in the wrong direction,” he said. “This area can be absolutely booming.”
Climate advocates in Binghamton protested Zeldin’s appearance.
“Hey hey! Ho ho! Lee Zeldin has got to go!” the group jeered.
Advocates contended that the environmental and public health costs of fracking in New York State would outweigh any potential economic benefits. They referenced studies showing a correlation between fracking and elevated instances of childhood leukemia.
New York Director of Frack Action, Renee Vogelsang, said Zeldin should “Get the frack out of New York State!”
Zeldin also pushed for state leaders to greenlight the controversial Constitution Pipeline — a project that would carry natural gas from Pennsylvania to New York
“It’s our primary source of energy in this state. So, like, we’re not. I’m not proposing some foreign concept,” Zeldin said.
A 2025 report from Northeast Gas Association, a regional trade group, stated natural gas provided approximately 50% of total energy in New York State.
Despite Zeldin’s endorsement, a fracking ban reversal and the Constitution Pipeline would both ultimately need approval from state leadership to proceed.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s position on the Constitution Pipeline has oscillated, according to Zeldin. Most recently, Hochul’s office has formally opposed the project.
President Trump claims Hochul went back on her word regarding the pipeline. He said she reportedly promised to push the project through in exchange for the federal government agreeing to lift federal stop-work orders on major wind projects.
Hochul defeated Zeldin in the New York gubernatorial race in 2022. Her victory was the narrowest win for a New York governor since 1994, when Republican George E. Pataki unseated then-Gov. Mario M. Cuomo. Reversing New York’s fracking ban was a central part of Zeldin’s campaign. He also represented Long Island in Congress and served in the New York State Senate.
Zeldin’s current asks of New York State are in line with the actions he’s rubber-stamped federally. He spearheaded President Trump’s initiative to rescind 31 environmental regulations in the name of economic prosperity. The administration dubbed the mission the “Great American Comeback.”
Former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy called Zeldin’s announcement “the most disastrous day in EPA history.”
In a 2025 statement, Sierra Club executive director Loren Blackford said, “As if any doubt remained, the Trump administration has formalized climate denial as the official policy of the United States government.”
When asked what Zeldin would like to tell those who “don’t like him,” because of the decision — contending that he is “destroying the environment,” he stated, “I believe strongly that we can both protect the environment and grow the economy. The agency in the past was choosing to strangulate out of existence entire sectors of our economy in the name of protecting the environment.”