[JURIST] Stephen Johnson [EPA profile], President Bush's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency [official website], received approval from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee [official website] Wednesday. The committee's 17-1 vote in favor of Johnson's nomination sends the nomination to the full Senate for consideration. Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., the lone dissenter in Wednesday's vote, has said that he is contemplating trying to block a Senate vote on Johnson's nomination. After facing a contentious first nomination hearing [JURIST report], Johnson has been working to alleviate concerns over the administration's environmental policies. Last week, Johnson cancelled [JURIST report] the CHEERS [EPA study website] program, which involved examining the effects of pesticides on children. Carper voted against Johnson's nomination [Carper press release] and is considering blocking the nomination on the Senate floor in protest over the administration's refusal to conduct studies on how to cut pollution from power plants. AP has more.