On December 15 , 2008 , the President-elect Barack Obama nominated Jackson as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency , she was confirmed by the Senate and took office on January 23 , 2009 . During her tenure , Jackson oversaw stricter fuel efficiency standards ; the EPA 's response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill ; authorized carbon dioxide as a public health threat , granting the EPA authority to set new regulations regarding CO2 emissions ; and laid out a failed plan to set stricter smog pollution limits by amending the National Ambient Air Quality Standards . In December 2012 , Jackson announced she would be stepping down as EPA Administrator , a move which took effect on February 15 , 2013 ; she was succeeded by Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe , who became Acting Administrator pending Senate confirmation of Gina McCarthy on July 18 , 2013 as a permanent successor
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Lisa P. Jackson