Clinton will lead health, environment committee

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I am posting this because it is indicative that there may be some major

changes in the overseeing of the EPA.

Sharon

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Local briefs POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL.COM

Clinton will lead health, environment committee

U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was appointed chairwoman of the

Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health Friday.

The committee has jurisdiction over a number of environmental laws and

programs, including the Superfund hazardous waste cleanup program, the

brownfields

redevelopment program and environmental health issues such as exposure to

toxic chemicals.

The subcommittee is part of the Environment and Public Works Committee, on

which Clinton has served for six years.

The full Environment and Public Works Committee has jurisdiction over most

environmental issues and oversees the work of the Environmental Protection

Agency and Army Corps of Engineers, as well as the nation's highway system and

water infrastructure.

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GOVEXEC.COM

DAILY BRIEFING

November 17, 2006 AAAAAAA1

EPA inspector general nominee awaits partisan panel vote

By Darren Goode, _CongressDaily_

(http://www.nationaljournal.com/about/congressdaily)

A Senate Environment and Public Works Committee vote on President Bush's

nomination of Beehler to be Environmental Protection Agency inspector

general will have to wait until December, a GOP committee spokesman said

Friday.

Beehler appears to have the support of all 10 Republicans on the committee,

but votes on his nomination were delayed this week because of the difficulty

in obtaining a quorum, according to the spokesman. Two previous committee

votes on Beehler's nomination were postponed in September because the EPA did

not

supply information in time for members to review it.

The support of Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., for Beehler's nomination also was

initially in question. Chafee said Thursday he would support the nomination.

The next Environment and Public Works chairwoman, Sen. Barbara Boxer,

D-Calif., has pledged to try to hold up his nomination if he is confirmed by

the

committee.

Boxer said this week she opposed Beehler because the EPA had not provided

sufficient information about him, and she questioned Beehler's qualifications.

" This is not an applicant that makes a whole lot of sense, " Boxer said. " I

just don't see that he has the background for this. "

Critics question Beehler's efforts to exempt the Pentagon from environmental

regulations when he was Defense assistant deputy undersecretary for

environment, safety and occupational health. They also cite his stint at Koch

Industries, where he headed a foundation that distributed grants to

anti-regulatory

groups.

Beehler also was a senior environmental trial attorney for the Justice

Department and a special assistant for legal and enforcement counsel at EPA.

Environment and Public Works Chairman Inhofe has praised him for having " a long

history of working at multiple agencies within the federal government. "

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_http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1106/111706cdpm2.htm_

(http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1106/111706cdpm2.htm)