Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - NACWA in the News
Water Environment & Technology
Copyright 2005 Water Environment Federation
June 1, 2005
Volume 17; Issue 6
Scientist Rises to EPA Helm
Christen, Kris
Stephen Johnson, the George W. Bush administration's pick to
lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is the first scientist and
career EPA employee to rise to the top of the agency. The U.S. Senate confirmed
Johnson's appointment in late April following questions raised over a
controversial pesticide research program in Florida and the administration's air
pollution proposals.
Trained as a biologist and pathologist, Johnson stepped in as EPAs acting
administrator in January when then-administrator Michael Leavitt left to head
the Department of Health and Human Services. During his 24 years at EPA, Johnson
has held several leadership positions. Most recently, he was assistant
administrator of EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances.
In nominating Johnson as EPA's administrator, Bush called Johnson a talented
scientist and innovative problem-solver. Furthermore, as the first scientist to
lead EPA, "he will use that background to set clear, rational standards for
environmental quality and to place sound scientific analysis at the heart of all
major decisions," Bush said.
"The fact that he is a scientist and somebody who knows agency programs very
well - having worked there for a long time - is a positive thing," said Tim
Williams, director of government affairs at the Water Environment Federation
(WEF; Alexandria, Va.). "Even though he doesn't have a personal history with
[EPA's] water program, folks from that program who know him speak highly of him
and his interest in the water program."
"Having someone with [Johnson's] background who is familiar with the various
offices and scientific processes that EPA engages in is definitely positive and
hopefully will create a situation where both sound science and sound economic
analysis are balanced in a way that makes for improved rulemaking," said Adam
Krantz, managing director of government and public affairs for the National
Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA; Washington, D.C.; formerly known as
the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies).
Confirmation Holdups
Johnson's Senate confirmation was stalled by several Democratic senators who
questioned a small, but controversial, program sponsored by EPA and the American
Chemistry Council (ACC; Arlington, Va.) researching children's exposure to
pesticides in Florida.
Known as the Children's Health Environmental Exposure Research Study, the
program "was designed to fill critical data gaps in our understanding of how
children may be exposed to pesticides (such as bug spray) and chemicals
currently used in households," Johnson noted. The program offered parents in
Duval County, Fia., a $970 payment if they allowed EPA researchers to measure
the effects of pesticides on selected children less than a year old.
Because of questions concerning the study design, Johnson suspended the study in
the fall, pending an independent review. However, he canceled the study April 8
before the review was completed.
"Many misrepresentations about the study have been made," Johnson said in
announcing his decision. "EPA senior scientists have briefed me on the impact
these misrepresentations have had on the ability to proceed with the study," and
so "I have concluded that the study cannot go forward, regardless of the outcome
of the independent review."
Johnson also faced tough grilling over EPA's cap-and-trade regulations published
in March to cut mercury emissions from power plants, as well as over the Bush
administration's Clear Skies Initiative. Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Del.) moved to
block Johnson's nomination, pending scientific reviews of legislative
alternatives to the Clear Skies Initiative. The Senate later voted, however, to
remove the procedural roadblock and confirm Johnson as EPA's new administrator.
Widespread Support
Despite the controversy raised during his Senate confirmation hearings, groups
ranging from industry to environmental organizations voiced support for Johnson
to head EPA.
"This is a spectacularly good appointment, and we're glad President Bush has
nominated such a dedicated and accomplished career environmental professional
who is known for his intellectual rigor, knowledge of environmental issues, and
his fairness," said Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group
(Washington, D.C.). "It is our hope that with Mr. Johnson's appointment comes
the assurance that he will be able to perform his job fully without any of the
interference described in former EPA Administrator Christie Todd Whitman's newly
published book, It's My Party, Too: The Battle for the Heart of the OOP and the
Future of America."
Similarly, the ACC called Johnson "an excellent choice for an agency grappling
with complex, scientific issues from clean air to chemical testing."
"Johnson has a long-standing commitment to the pursuit of high-quality
scientific information and peer review as the basis for EPA decision making, and
we think that bodes well for the management of the agency," said Tom Reilly,
ACC's president.
Looking for Leadership
WEF and NACWA hope Johnson addresses two particular issues during his
leadership: water infrastructure and wet weather flows, according to Williams
and Krantz.
EPA's 2002 Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis projected
spending shortfalls ranging from $331 billion to $450 billion over 20 years
between needed investments and current levels of spending for wastewater and
drinking water. Nevertheless, funding for the clean water State Revolving Fund
(SRF) would fall from $1.1 billion to $730 million under EPA's budget request
for fiscal year 2006. Drinking water SRF funding would remain about the same at
$850 million.
EPA is advocating other approaches to reduce the spending gap as well, including
better management and efficiency measures by utilities, full-cost pricing for
services, and the use of the watershed approach. But "funding is part of that
too, and WEF is disappointed, along with all the other water organizations, in
terms of the federal budget," Williams said. "We hope that Stephen Johnson will
be an advocate for the clean water SRF within the Bush administration."
On the wet weather front, EPA policies and regulations related to sanitary sewer
overflows and the blending policy that would allow wastewater treatment to be
bypassed during heavy rains have been stalled for several years, Williams noted.
"There's a whole complex of initiatives related to wet weather and how wet
weather flows are regulated that we really need some leadership from EPA on," he
said.
One of the obstacles to EPA finalizing rules and policies oftentimes "has to do
with the time it takes to develop a consensus within EPA between different
program offices and regional offices," such as the agency's Office of Water and
Office of Enforcement and Compliance, for example, Williams added. "That's where
administrator-level involvement and leadership are needed to develop consensus
or make a decision to move forward one way or another, and that's what we'll be
counting on him to do."
In assuming the leadership position, Johnson vowed to promote and maintain "the
utilization of sound science while using collaborative, innovative approaches to
solving environmental problems."