WASHINGTON — A West Virginia senator in committee on Tuesday voted against the administration’s nominee to be the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the nomination of Michael S. Regan on a 14-6 vote with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., voting against. Capito on Tuesday was chosen as the ranking member on the committee.

“While I appreciate his willingness to visit West Virginia and assurances for transparency, Secretary Regan has not committed to a different policy course than Gina McCarthy took during the Obama administration,” Capito said.

Regan is secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

“Let me be clear: my decision today is not a personal one. Mr. Regan is a professional and affable gentleman. However, I remain deeply concerned about unaccountable climate czars in the White House and their control over EPA and environmental policy,” Capito said. “Secretary Regan did not rule out a return to the Clean Power Plan. He would not say whether EPA would again claim overreaching authority to force states to shift electricity generation sources. He could not rule out a return to the Obama administration’s 2015 WOTUS (Waters of the United States) rule or something similar. Without clear commitments to oppose policies that would economically devastate West Virginia again, I cannot support him.”