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Public Involvement Network News
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EPA Appointment Activities
In recent weeks and months, President Obama and the U.S. Senate have been assembling team members to join Administrator Lisa P. Jackson at the Environmental Protection Agency. Below, find the status of EPA political appointment positions [as of August 8, 2009]:
Robert Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator nominee
Robert Perciasepe’s nomination for the position of Deputy Administrator remains on hold in the Senate. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH) announced July 13 in a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson that he placed the hold because of his concerns with EPA's analysis of pending climate change legislation, and that the hold “does not serve as a reflection on Mr. Perciasepe's ability to perform in the role of Deputy Administrator.” [Perciasepe’s nomination by President Obama followed that of Jonathan Cannon, who withdrew his Deputy Administrator nomination earlier this year amid scrutiny of an industry-backed water group on whose board he once served.] Since serving as assistant administrator for water during the Clinton Administration, Perciasepe has worked as the National Audubon Society’s chief operating officer.
Craig Hooks, Assistant Administrator for Administration and Resource Management nominee
Craig Hooks is currently the Acting Assistant Administrator for Administration and Resource Management, and has been nominated to continue in that position. In his 21 years of experience at EPA, Hooks has also served as the Director of the Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds in the Office of Water as well as the Acting Principal Assistant Administrator in the Office of Environmental Information.
Regina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation (confirmed)
Prior to her confirmation, Regina McCarthy served as the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. She brings to the Office of Air and Radiation extensive experience with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first market-based, greenhouse cap-and-trade system.
Cynthia J. Giles, Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (confirmed)
Cynthia J. Giles has recently worked as Vice President and Director of Conservation Law Foundation's Rhode Island Advocacy Center and as head of the Bureau of Resource Protection at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. At EPA, she has served as Enforcement Director for Region 3, where she developed a “results-targeted” approach to enforcement. Her responsibilities included overseeing enforcement of federal laws regulating toxics and protecting air, drinking water and surface water.
Colin Scott Fulton, General Counsel Nominee
Currently the Acting Deputy Administrator, Colin Scott Fulton has experience as EPA’s Principal Deputy General Counsel, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, and Director of Civil Enforcement. Prior to EPA, Fulton worked in the Department of Justice as an environmental prosecutor and Assistant Chief in the Environment Division.
Michelle J. DePass, Assistant Administrator for International Affairs (confirmed)
As Assistant Administrator for International Affairs, Michelle J. DePass brings an expertise in environmental justice. Her recent work as Environment & Development Program Director at the Ford Foundation focused on environmental and social justice intersections in the United States and transnational linkages that support environmental justice policies and practices. Prior to that, DePass was Senior Policy Advisor to the Commissioner at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Stephen A. Owens, Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (confirmed)
Stephen Owens is the former Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, where he prioritized children’s health and reducing exposure to pollutants. Owens received unanimous Senate confirmation on July 7.
Paul Anastas, Assistant Administrator for Research and Development nominee
Paul Anastas has been called the “Father of Green Chemistry,” and is recognized nationally and internationally for his contributions to science and the environment. Currently the Director of the Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, and has served previously as Assistant Director for Environment in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President and Chief of the Industrial Chemistry Branch in EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances.
Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response (confirmed)
Holding both a law degree and a degree in chemical engineering, Mathy Stanislaus has worked in EPA Region 2 as associate regional counsel. He is also a co-founder of the New Partners for Community Revitalization.
Peter Silva, Assistant Administrator for Water (confirmed)
Peter Silva, a civil engineer with nearly 32 years of experience in water and wastewater, is currently a senior policy advisor for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. He served previously as vice-chair of the California Water Resources Board under both Governors Gray Davis (D) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). The Senate approved Silva’s nominations following a brief procedural hold by Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), who wanted to meet with Silva to discuss EPA’s ongoing reviews of mountaintop mining valley fill permits.
Lisa E. Heinzerling, Associate Administrator for the Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation
Lisa Heinzerling has spent the past months as Administrator Jackson's chief advisor on climate issues. She served as an assistant attorney general in Massachusetts, specializing in environmental law, before becoming a professor of law at Georgetown University. She has been a visiting professor at the Yale and Harvard law schools. She is the author of dozens of articles and several books, including (with Frank Ackerman) “Priceless: On Knowing the Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing,” published by The New Press. She was the lead author of the briefs of Massachusetts and other petitioners in Massachusetts v. EPA.
David G. McIntosh, Associate Administrator for the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations
David McIntosh has spent the past months working as a principal advisor to the Administrator on legislative climate issues, and now assumes overall responsibility for government relations at the national, state and local levels. He has an extensive background on Capitol Hill and on environmental and energy issues generally, having previously served as Senator Joseph Lieberman’s counsel and legislative assistant for energy and the environment. Prior to joining Senator Lieberman’s staff, Mr. McIntosh served briefly as a Maryland assistant attorney general representing the State’s air agency. Before that, he spent nearly five years working at the Natural Resources Defense Council as a Clean Air Act litigator and regulatory lawyer.
Seth Oster, Associate Administrator for the Office of Public Affairs
Seth Oster brings to the EPA and the Office of Public Affairs broad experience from both inside and outside of government. In directing the work of OPA, he will play a vital role in leading efforts to reach out to new communities and consistencies, promoting environmental education initiatives and generating public support for EPA’s mission.
M. Allyn Brooks-LaSure, Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Public Affairs
M. Allyn Brooks-LaSure previously served as the spokesperson for, and senior staff member of, the Save Darfur Coalition, where he directed their media operations and outreach efforts. In addition, he was the Press Secretary and Spokesperson for Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and as Spokesperson to then-Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ).
Peter Grevatt, Director of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education
Administrator Jackson appointed Peter Grevatt, Ph.D., to serve as a key advisor to her in the Immediate Office, as Director of the Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education. Grevatt has extensive experience in the area of children’s health and environmental justice issues. He began his career in Region Two and later worked within the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response and the Office of Water. He has worked across federal agencies, with state and local governments, as well as with Congress, stakeholders and the public on a wide range of environmental health risk issues.
No Nominations have been made for the positions of Chief Financial Officer, Inspector General or the Assistant Administrator for Environmental Information.
Information in this article came from:
Andrew Childers, Linda Roeder and Charlotte A. Tucker, Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
Inside EPA