Critics say Whitman took an active role in weakening environmental standards across the board–in everything from arsenic in the drinking water to slashing funding for enforcement.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency Christie Todd Whitman officially stepped down from her post last week.

Whitman’s tenure at the agency has been marked by controversy.

Critics say Whitman took an active role in weakening environmental standards across the board–in everything from arsenic in the drinking water to slashing funding for enforcement.

She was undermined by the administration when it refused to sign on to the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement on environmental standards that she endorsed.

And the recent EPA report on “The State of the Environment” was publicly discredited after it was revealed that the White House had ordered a section on climate change removed.

The Bush Administration’s pick to replace Whitman is reportedly former Idaho Governor Dick Kempthorne. As Governor from 1993 to 1998, Kempthorne registered only one “pro-environment” vote among 73 votes tracked by the League of Conservation Voters.

The EPA’s Deputy Administrator, Linda Fisher, announced her resignation after being passed over for the top job.

• Joan Mulhern, Senior Legislative Council for Earthjustice a national non-profit that tracks influence in environmental policy and legislation.