News Releases from Headquarters›Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA)
Two EPA Employees Selected as Finalists for 2016 Service to America Medals
WASHINGTON- The Partnership for Public Service has chosen U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees David Hindin and Jessica Zomer as finalists for the 2016 Service to America Medals. This prestigious award highlights America's dedicated federal workers who have made significant contributions to our country.
David Hindin and Jessica Zomer were selected as Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals (Sammies) finalists for their commitment and leadership, as well as the impact of their work advancing environmental protection. David Hindin, Senior Policy Director for Innovation and Next Generation Compliance in EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, is a finalist for the Science and Environment Category. Jessica Zomer, Attorney Advisor for the EPA’s Office of General Counsel, is a finalist for the Call to Service Category.
"As we begin Public Service Recognition Week, I join all my EPA colleagues in celebrating the nomination of our Sammie finalists,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Stan Meiburg. “Their work exemplifies the passion for public service and dedication to public health and environmental protection that helps EPA make a positive difference in communities across the country.”
David Hindin leads EPA’s Next Generation Compliance initiative to modernize EPA’s enforcement program and take advantage of the latest technologies and innovations to more effectively find and fix pollution problems, and to drive increased compliance. Next Generation Compliance includes designing regulations that are easier to implement and enforce; using innovative pollution-detection technology; creating greater transparency to alert the public of problems; shifting to electronic reporting; and using data analytics to better identify serious violators. David has spearheaded EPA’s efforts to design compliance into rules and permits to be more effective in reducing pollution. David’s work on Next Generation Compliance has been embraced by regional offices with a series of enforcement settlements with companies that integrate innovative pollution controls, advanced monitoring, and third party verification. David has developed and launched new policies, programs, information systems, and initiatives to improve EPA’s effectiveness, efficiency and transparency in protecting public health and the environment.
Jessica Zomer is nominated for her exceptional work as the lead attorney supporting a regulation under the Clean Water Act that will reduce the amount of toxic pollution discharged by power plants into our nation’s waterways by over 1.4 billion pounds annually. The rule will remove over 95 percent of the copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, thallium, and zinc, over 90 percent of the arsenic and cadmium, 99 percent of the nitrogen and 81 percent of the phosphorous from the industry’s discharges. These pollutants can contribute to significant and detrimental environmental and human health impacts, including cancers, cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, neurological disorders, damage to kidneys/liver and circulatory systems, lowered IQ in children, hazardous algal blooms, and deformities and reproductive impairment in fish and wildlife, as well as dead zones in the national treasures of the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The rule also protects America’s drinking water by reducing by 83 percent the number of waters to which power plants discharge that exceed safe levels established under the Safe Drinking Water Act. As Agency counsel on the rule, Jessica was responsible for ensuring the rule met all legal requirements, but she also played a leading role helping the cross-disciplinary team of economists, statisticians and engineers develop the technical justifications for the rule, and address over 170,000 public comments on the proposed rule. In addition to the power plant regulation, Jessica has contributed to many other important Agency actions, including assisting EPA and states in establishing “water quality standards,” critical legal requirements that identify the legally binding level of protection for streams, rivers, lakes and coastal waters across the country.
The Partnership for Public Service will announce the winners of the Sammies in September 2016.
Information on Partnership for Public Service and Service to America Medals: http://servicetoamericamedals.org/
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