A political appointee, such as the head of the EPA, is typically appointed by the president or another political figure to serve a specific political agenda or philosophy. They may have specific goals, priorities, or directives that they are expected to fulfill during their tenure. As a result, they may be more inclined to make significant changes to the Clean Water Act or other environmental policies to align with their political goals.
On the other hand, civil servants who work within the EPA are typically career professionals who have been hired through a competitive process based on their expertise and experience. They may be more focused on maintaining the integrity and continuity of environmental policies and programs, rather than implementing new policies that align with a particular political agenda. Civil servants may also be subject to laws and regulations that restrict their ability to make significant policy changes without going through a formal process, such as public comment periods and scientific reviews.
Therefore, a political appointee may have different priorities and objectives than civil servants and may be more willing to implement significant changes to environmental policies than civil servants who are committed to the continuity of existing policies and programs