Click here to watch Chairman Barrasso’s remarks.  

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), delivered the following remarks at a hearing on the nominations of William Charles McIntosh and Peter C. Wright to be assistant administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The hearing featured testimony from William Charles McIntosh, nominee to be assistant administrator for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs; and Peter C. Wright, nominee to be assistant administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management.

For more information on witness testimonies click here.

Senator Barrasso’s remarks:

“Today, we will consider two nominees to serve as assistant administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency:

“William Charles ‘Chad’ McIntosh, former manager of Global Environmental Policy at Ford Motor Company, and Peter C. Wright, managing counsel at Dow Chemical Company.

“Both nominees before us today are well-qualified and will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to critically important roles in protecting America’s public health and safety.

“President Trump has nominated Chad McIntosh to lead EPA’s Office of International and Tribal Affairs.

“The Office of International and Tribal Affairs coordinates EPA’s interaction with tribal and foreign governments.

“The office works across EPA’s programs and regions to develop and implement policies and programs that protect the public health and the environment.

“Tracy Mehan, former assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water and former director of Michigan’s Office of the Great Lakes, said of Mr. McIntosh: ‘As someone who had the pleasure to work with Chad McIntosh on Great Lakes and other environmental issues in Michigan state government, I can testify to his solid technical, policy and legal expertise as both an engineer and an attorney. 

“‘He was a conscientious public servant and an outstanding conservationist… He will be an excellent addition to the team at EPA. He is a great colleague and administrator.’

“President Trump has also nominated Peter Wright.

“If confirmed, he will lead EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management.

“The office of Land and Emergency Management provides policy, guidance, and direction for EPA’s emergency response and waste programs.

“This office oversees the Superfund program, which is a priority for this administration, as well as this committee.

“John Milner, chair of the American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources said this about Mr. Wright: ‘Peter’s career, his selfless commitment to the American Bar Association's Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources and the members it serves, and his well-recognized personal integrity exemplify the highest standards of the legal profession.

“‘We enthusiastically and without reservation support the consideration of Peter as Assistant Administrator for OLEM, and believe Peter will serve the office with distinction and honor.’

“There are approximately 1,300 listed superfund sites across the country that are a threat to the environment, public health, and the economy.

“These sites must be cleaned up in a thorough and efficient manner.

“Likewise, there are approximately 450,000 Brownfield sites that also need to be addressed.

“The EPA Brownfields program is a great example of Washington working with local communities to address pollution and to find new uses for long-abandoned sites.

“Earlier this year, this committee was able to pass, and get signed into law, bipartisan legislation reauthorizing EPA’s important Brownfields program.

“This law will assist states and local communities in their efforts to clean up and reuse these properties.

“The EPA needs a leader like Mr. Wright to ensure that EPA’s Superfund and Brownfields programs properly address America’s contaminated sites.

“I look forward to hearing from both Mr. McIntosh and Mr. Wright today as the committee considers their nominations.”

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