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SACRAMENTO — Former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy says she has deep concerns about the agency’s direction under the Trump administration and is urging California and other states to take the lead on slowing climate change.

“I think I’m concerned about this administration and their commitment,” McCarthy said Wednesday to a small group of reporters in the office of Senate leader Kevin de León. “You know, EPA is a public health agency. That’s what we do for a living. We deliver clean air and water, and we work in partnership with the states, and right now if we’re not going to get leadership at the federal level it’s important that states like California continue to stand up and that they speak for people and their right to have clean air and a stable climate.”

McCarthy said she — along with many scientists at EPA — are concerned about what they are seeing: “Politicizing science, denying climate science and looking at changing the way this country actually does science” as well as the administration’s threats to slash the agency and roll back regulations.

President Trump’s pick to lead EPA, Scott Pruitt, has expressed skepticism about the scientific consensus on human impact on global warming — and, as Oklahoma attorney general, fought the agency he has been nominated to lead.

“I don’t know why climate change got to be a religion instead of a simple, fact-based science exercise,” McCarthy said, “but I do know that the actions that California’s taking and others will make the difference between whether we stand still or fall back.”