On Monday, the EPA announced its Clean Power Plan, a proposal which for the first time cuts carbon pollution from existing power plants, the single largest source of carbon pollution in the United States. The proposal will protect public health, move the United States toward a cleaner environment and fight climate change. Here is a behind-the-scenes look at how EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy spent the historic day.

Previous Slide

Next slide

9:14 am - EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy begins her day with some last minute preparation in advance of announcing the Clean Power Plan and its flexible, achievable reductions to carbon pollution. (1/15)

9:26 am - McCarthy shares a laugh with some of the staff that helped craft the proposal to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants. (2/15)

9:43 am - John Podesta, Counselor to the President, stopped by McCarthy’s office to congratulate her and the EPA team on the key step in working to implement the White House’s Climate Action Plan. (3/15)

9:48 am - With help from her chief speechwriter, Kevin Samy, McCarthy fine tunes her remarks minutes before she is set to speak. (4/15)

10:11 am - The pen can indeed prove to be mighty. (5/15)

10:16 am - Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe and McCarthy enjoy a lighter moment on an otherwise hectic and historic day. (6/15)

10:37 am - The Speech. (7/15)

11:00 am - Making it official. (8/15)

11:46 am - There were huge amounts of interest surrounding EPA’s Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants. Here, McCarthy talked with NBC’s Anne Thompson for a story that aired that evening on the network’s nightly news program. (9/15)

12:01 pm - Taking a quick break between media interviews, McCarthy catches up with EPA Chief of Staff Gwen Keyes Fleming and EPA Public Affairs Director Tom Reynolds. (10/15)

12:11 pm - Another interview. Here McCarthy prepares to speak with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell. (11/15)

1:06 pm - Following her speech McCarthy continued the agency’s robust outreach in explaining the new proposal to reduce carbon pollution. (12/15)

2:48 pm - From North Lawn of the White House, following a conference call with President Obama hosted by the American Lung Association. (13/15)

3:09 pm - Flowers from McCarthy’s family. (14/15)

6:23 pm - Wrapping up the day with a final interview, this time with NewsHour’s Gwen Ifill. (15/15)

< View all "Day in the Life" galleries