Let EPA Do Its Job

By Lynn Thorp, National Campaigns Director Ed. note - Gina McCarthy's nomination passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on May 16th. She is currently awaiting confirmation by the full Senate, which may not happen until July. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) currently has a hold on the nomination. Today the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee was supposed to vote on the nomination of Gina McCarthy to be the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Clean Water Action fully supports this nomination, and we fully support letting EPA do its job. I've been hearing a lot of Senate Republicans criticizing McCarthy and the EPA's work. This morning they boycotted the hearing due to a perceived lack of "transparency." And, because all 8 Republicans stayed home the Committee couldn't vote. The nomination can't move forward until they show up and vote. It is unacceptable obstructionism. It makes me wonder - who are they representing (hint - it's not you and me)? Maybe a return to civics class is in order here.  EPA has only one job and that is to implement the laws that Congress has passed to protect public health and our natural resources.  When EPA develops Clean Air Act programs to protect the most vulnerable people, including children, from mercury and other toxic air pollution they are doing so because the law requires it.  With EPA's upcoming controls on water pollution from power plants, the largest point source of water pollution (which has been left uncontrolled for 30 years), they are finally conducting unfinished business of the landmark Clean Water Act, passed over 40 years ago with bi-partisan support. EPA does not just make things up - they follow the law.  There are some days people like me wish they could, but our system of government and its checks and balances don't work that way.  When our elected officials in the U.S. Congress come to agreement and pass a law related to EPA's work, then EPA gets down to business and gets it done.  Conversely, when the President nominates a highly qualified person for the job, the U.S. Senate should do its due diligence but not hold this nomination up for inappropriate reasons. McCarthy is known as a common-sense policy expert and an effective manager, and she has worked under both Republican and Democratic Governors.  Her work at EPA over the last several years demonstrates extraordinary stakeholder engagement and transparency, as does all of EPA's work in the last few years.  (See my blog about EPA's Science Advisory Board's Hydraulic Fracturing Panel, which met this week in public to consult with EPA about its study on the potential impacts of this activity on drinking water resources.) We're urging U.S. Senators to support Gina McCarthy's nomination, and you can too!