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S. HRG. 107–324 NOMINATIONS OF THE 107th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION HEARINGS BEFORETHE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON MAY 17, 2001: LINDA FISHER, TO BE DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; JEFFREY HOLMSTEAD, TO BE ASSISTANT ADMINIS- TRATOR FOR AIR AND RADIATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; STE- PHEN JOHNSON, TOBEASSISTANTADMINISTRATORFORTOXICSUBSTANCES, EN- VIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; AND JAMES CONNAUGHTON, TO THE COUNCILONENVIRONMENTALQUALITY JULY 25, 2001: DAVID A. SAMPSON, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ECO- NOMIC DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE; ROBERT FABRICANT, TO BE GENERAL COUNSEL, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; GEORGE TRACY MEHAN III, TOBEASSISTANTADMINISTRATORFORWATER, ENVIRONMENTALPRO- TECTION AGENCY; JUDITH ELIZABETH AYRES, TO BE ASSISTANT ADMINIS- TRATOR FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; DONALD R. SCHREGARDUS, TO BE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR ENFORCE- MENTANDCOMPLIANCEASSURANCE, ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTIONAGENCY SEPTEMBER 21, 2001: BRIG. GEN. EDWIN J. ARNOLD, TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION; BRIG. GEN. CARL A. STROCK, TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION; NILS J. DIAZ, TO BE COMMISSIONER, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COM- MISSION; PATRICK HAYES JOHNSON, TOBEFEDERALCOCHAIRPERSON, DELTA REGIONALAUTHORITY; HAROLD CRAIG MANSON, TOBEASSISTANTSECRETARY FOR FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR; MARIANNE LAMONT HORINKO, TO BE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; PAUL MICHAEL PARKER, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY FOR CIVIL WORKS; AND MARY E. PETERS, TO BE ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENTOFTRANSPORTATION OCTOBER 17, 2001: WILLIAM W. BAXTER, TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AU- THORITY; KIMBERLY TERESE NELSON, TOBEASSISTANTADMINISTRATORFOR ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; AND STE- VEN A. WILLIAMS, TOBEDIRECTOR, U.S. FISHANDWILDLIFESERVICE, DEPART- MENTOFTHEINTERIOR U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 78–075PDF WASHINGTON : 2002 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS1 FIRST SESSION: JANUARY 25–JUNE 6, 2001 BOB SMITH, New Hampshire, Chairman HARRY REID, Nevada, Ranking Democratic Member JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia MAX BAUCUS, Montana JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma BOB GRAHAM, Florida CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio BARBARA BOXER, California MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho RON WYDEN, Oregon LINCOLN CHAFEE, Rhode Island THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey DAVE CONOVER, Republican Staff Director ERIC WASHBURN, Democratic Staff Director COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION: JULY 10–DECEMBER 20, 2001 JAMES M. JEFFORDS, Vermont, Chairman MAX BAUCUS, Montana BOB SMITH, New Hampshire HARRY REID, Nevada JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia BOB GRAHAM, Florida JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri BARBARA BOXER, California GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio RON WYDEN, Oregon MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware LINCOLN CHAFEE, Rhode Island HILARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado KEN CONNOLLY, Majority Staff Director DAVE CONOVER, Minority Staff Director 1NOTE: During the first session of the 107th Congress, the committee roster appeared in the Congressional Record on January 25, 2001. On June 6, 2001, the majority of the Senate changed from Republican to Democrat when Senator James M. Jeffords, of Vermont, changed party affiliation from Republican to Independent. Senator Harry Reid, of Ne- vada, assumed the chairmanship of the committee. On July 10, 2001, Senator Jeffords was appointed as chairman of the committee by the Democratic Leader. (II) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 C O N T E N T S Page MAY 17, 2001 OPENING STATEMENTS Baucus, Hon. Max, U.S. Senator from the State of Montana ............................ 27 Bond, Hon. Christopher S., U.S. Senator from the State of Missouri ............... 8 Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware ................. 8 Clinton, Hon. Hillary Rodham, U.S. Senator from the State of New York ....... 21 Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma ................... 6 Reid, Hon. Harry, U.S. Senator from the State of Nevada ................................ 4 Smith, Hon. Bob, U.S. Senator from the State of New Hampshire ................... 1 Voinovich, Hon. George V., U.S. Senator from the State ofOhio........................ 26 WITNESSES Connaughton, James, Nominated to be a Member of the Council on Environ- mental Quality ..................................................................................................... 14 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 104 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 102 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 114 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 115 Fisher, Linda, Nominated to be Deputy Administrator, Environmental Protec- tion Agency ........................................................................................................... 9 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 30 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 28 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 41 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 38 Senator Voinovich ..................................................................................... 40 Senator Wyden .......................................................................................... 43 Holmstead, Jeffrey, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency ............................................ 11 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 45 Letters, Comments on PM standards ............................................................. 72 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 44 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 69 Senator Clinton ......................................................................................... 70 Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 71 Senator Lieberman .................................................................................... 69 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 56 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 66 Senator Voinovich ..................................................................................... 67 Statement, Testimony before House committee on air quality standards ... 61 Johnson, Stephen, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Toxic Substances, Environmental Protection Agency ................................................. 13 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 83 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 81 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 100 Senator Clinton ......................................................................................... 102 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 98 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 96 (III) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 IV Page Johnson, Stephen, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Toxic Substances, Environmental Protection Agency—Continued Responses to additional questions from—Continued Senators Smith/Reid ................................................................................. 95 Senator Wyden .......................................................................................... 101 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Statement, nomination of Stephen Johnson, Senator Mikulski .......................... 2 JULY 25, 2001 OPENING STATEMENTS Bond, Hon. Christopher S., U.S. Senator from the State of Missouri ............... 120 Chafee, Hon. Lincoln, U.S. Senator from the State of Rhode Island ................. 125 Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma ................... 123 Jeffords, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont ................... 117 Smith, Hon. Bob, U.S. Senator from the State of New Hampshire ................... 120 Voinovich, Hon. George V., U.S. Senator from the State of Ohio ...................... 122 WITNESSES Ayres, Judith Elizabeth, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of International Activities, Environmental Protection Agency.............. 131 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 179 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 177 Fabricant, Robert, Nominated to be General Counsel, Environmental Protec- tion Agency ........................................................................................................... 127 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 149 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 148 Frost, Hon. Martin, U.S. Representative from the State of Texas ..................... 118 Hutchison, Hon. Kay Bailey, U.S. Senator from the State of Texas ................. 117 Mehan, George Tracy, III, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency........................................... 128 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 159 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 157 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Graham ........................................................................................ 176 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 175 Senator Voinovich ..................................................................................... 177 Sampson, David A., Nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Economic Devel- opment, Department of Commerce..................................................................119, 125 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 141 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 138 Responses to additional questions from Senator Smith ................................ 146 Schregardus, Donald R., Nominated to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Environmental Protec- tion Agency ........................................................................................................... 135 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 191 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 189 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 198 Senator Chafee .......................................................................................... 201 Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 201 SEPTEMBER 21, 2001 OPENING STATEMENTS Jeffords, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont ................... 205 Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware ................. 222 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 V Page WITNESSES Arnold, Brigadier General Edwin J., Nominated to be a Member and Presi- dent of the Mississippi River Commission ......................................................... 208 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 230 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 228 Cochran, Hon. Thad, U.S. Senator from the State of Mississippi...................... 206 Diaz, Nils J., Nominated to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commis- sion ........................................................................................................................ 209 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 239 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 237 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 268 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 270 Horinko, Marianne Lamont, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency 216 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 301 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 299 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Bond ............................................................................................. 315 Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 318 Senator Clinton ......................................................................................... 320 Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 319 Senator Jeffords......................................................................................... 311 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 313 Johnson, Patrick Hayes, Nominated to be Federal Cochairperson, Delta Re- gional Authority ................................................................................................... 209 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 274 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 272 Responses to additional questions from Senator Jeffords ............................. 288 Manson, Harold Craig, Nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wild- life, and Parks, Department of the Interior ....................................................... 214 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 322 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 320 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 333 Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 334 Senator Jeffords......................................................................................... 331 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 334 Parker, Paul Michael, Nominated to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Department of the Army.......................................................... 218 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 338 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 337 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 346 Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 349 Senator Clinton ......................................................................................... 352 Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 351 Senator Daschle ......................................................................................... 352 Senator Graham ........................................................................................ 348 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 344 Senator Wyden .......................................................................................... 347 Peters, Mary E., Nominated to be Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation ................................................ 219 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 355 Letter, Representative Bob Stump .................................................................. 354 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 352 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Jeffords......................................................................................... 363 Senator Lieberman .................................................................................... 366 Strock, Brigadier General Carl A., Nominated to be a Member of the Mis- sissippi River Commission................................................................................... 210 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 291 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 289 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Letter, nomination of Mary Peters, Rep. Bob Stump ........................................... 354 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 VI Page Statements: Lincoln, Hon. Blanche Lambert, U.S. Senator from the State of Arkansas 227 McCain, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Arizona ....................... 226 OCTOBER 17, 2001 OPENING STATEMENTS Jeffords, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont ................... 367 WITNESSES Baxter, William W., Nominated to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority...................................................................... 368 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 384 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 382 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Bunning ....................................................................................... 390 Senator Jeffords......................................................................................... 389 Senator Wyden .......................................................................................... 392 Nelson, Kimberly Terese, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Environmental Information, Environmental Protection Agency ................. 371 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 395 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 392 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Bond ............................................................................................. 405 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 403 Roberts, Hon. Pat, U.S. Senator from the State of Kansas ................................ 373 Thompson, Hon. Fred, U.S. Senator from the State of Tennessee .................... 367 Williams, Steven A., Nominated to be Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv- ice, U.S. Department of the Interior................................................................... 374 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 408 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 406 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 419 Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 419 Senator Chafee .......................................................................................... 418 Senator Lieberman .................................................................................... 423 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 417 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Frist, Hon. Bill, U.S. Senator from the State of Tennessee ................................. 381 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 NOMINATIONS OF THE 107th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2001 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, Washington, DC. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:30 a.m. in room 628, Senate Dirksen Building, Hon. Bob Smith (chairman of the com- mittee) presiding. CONSIDERATION OF THE NOMINATIONS OF LINDA FISHER, JEFFREY HOLMSTEAD, STEPHEN JOHNSON, AND JAMES CONNAUGHTON Present: Senators Smith, Reid, Inhofe, Carper, Bond and Clinton. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BOB SMITH, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE Senator SMITH. The nomination hearing will come to order. I would say good morning to the witnesses and our apologies for being late but the Senate had other ideas for us this morning as we had votes on the Senate floor. I’m going to give each of you an opportunity in just a moment to introduce your families who are here but first, by way of brief introduction for each of you, the purpose today is consider all four of your nominations for various positions at EPA—Linda Fisher, as Deputy Administrator of the EPA; Jeffrey Holmstead for the posi- tion of Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation; Stephen Johnson to serve as Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances; and finally Jim Connaughton, nominated to be a member of the Council on Environmental Quality. I’d like to thank them for join- ing us here today and for their willingness to meet with as many Senators and their staffs as possible since the President sent us their names. They are all very well qualified and I can say from my meetings with them, they are also quality individuals with quality families who we will meet here in a moment. The Office of Government Ethics has certified that all four of these nominees’ financial disclosure forms indicate that they are in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations governing con- flicts of interest. Linda Fisher, as President Bush’s nominee, is no stranger to the Agency. She has served in various positions in both the Reagan and Bush Administrations and while there, Ms. Fisher was award- ed the EPA Award for Sustained Outstanding Contributions to (1) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 2 International Environmental Protection in 1991 and the EPA Out- standing Service Award in 1984. After leaving EPA, she joined the private sector working for Monsanto, a company widely recognized for forward thinking on environmental matters. She most recently held the title of Vice President for Government Affairs at Monsanto. She holds a BA from Miami University, an MBA from George Washington and earned her law degree from the Ohio State Uni- versity. Jeffrey Holmstead, the nominee to be the new EPA Assistant Ad- ministrator for the Office of Air and Radiation also served in the first Bush Administration in the White House Counsel’s Office. In his position as Assistant Counsel Mr. Holmstead’s primary focus was environmental law, most recently working on the implementa- tion of the Clean Air Act. He also worked with the Reactivity Re- search Working Group and has been very involved in their efforts exploring new and more effective approaches for controlling ground level ozone. Mr. Holmstead holds a BA and an AA from Brigham Young, as well as a law degree from Yale. Stephen Johnson has been nominated to serve as EPA’s Assist- ant Administrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxics. He has 25 years of direct experience with the issues facing the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. He joined EPA in 1979 in the position of pathologist in that same of- fice. Most recently he has served as Acting Assistant Administrator in that office. For his service, he has received numerous annual performance awards, Special Act Award, 1991; Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, 1997; and has been nominated to receive the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award. Mr. Johnson earned a BA from Taylor University and a BS from George Washington. I would ask unanimous consent that a letter of support for Mr. Johnson from Senator Mikulski be entered in the record at this time. [The information referred to follows:] U.S. SENATE, Washington, DC 20510, May 17, 2001. Hon. BOBSMITH, Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate, Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510. DEAR SENATORS SMITH AND REID: I regret that I could not be there in person today to introduce Stephen Johnson, and I hope you will share this letter with the mem- bers of your committee as they consider Mr. Johnson’s nomination. As you know, Mr. Johnson has been nominated to serve as EPA’s Assistant Ad- ministrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances. He is cur- rently acting in this position, where he has the important responsibility of imple- menting our nation’s pesticide, toxic substance, and pollution prevention laws. Mr. Johnson is a lifelong resident of Maryland, and he has worked in public serv- ice for over 20 years. In his many years of service to EPA, he has held positions of increasing responsibility and earned several awards of distinction. His dedication and service to EPA demonstrates his commitment to upholding the Agency’s critical mission. VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 3 I believe that Mr. Johnson’s nomination represents a unique accomplishment for a career civil servant, and I hope that the committee will give him every appropriate consideration. Sincerely, BARBARAA. MIKULSKI, United States Senator. Senator SMITH. Finally, James Connaughton has been nominated to be a member of the President’s Council for Environmental Qual- ity. Mr. Connaughton has been a partner in the Environmental law firm of Sidley Austin Brown & Wood since 1991. He has spent his career working on a variety of environmental issues including com- pliance, environmental management, legislative issues and damage assessment. He has substantial experience with handling ecological risk and natural resource damage assessment and is knowledge- able in the implementation of local, State and Federal laws per- taining to environmental risk assessment. Before joining Sidley Austin, Mr. Connaughton clerked for the Honorable Marvin Aspen, U.S. District Court, Illinois. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale and his law de- gree from Northwestern. Welcome to all of you. Before I turn to Senator Reid and other members for opening statements, I would ask each of you at this time if you have family members here to please feel free to introduce them. We will start with you, Ms. Fisher. Ms. FISHER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the fact we can go ahead and introduce the children first. They have all pledged to perfect behavior throughout the hearing. We will keep our fingers crossed. Senator SMITH. That may not be true with the Senators. [Laughter.] Ms. FISHER. Let me first introduce my two children who are join- ing me today, my son, Keenan, 7 years old and a first grader at St. Patrick. As you can tell from his build, he is a hockey player and likes baseball and basketball. Next to him is my daughter, Kelly. Kelly is a kindergartener at St. Patrick’s and a 6-year-old. She likes gymnastics and soccer. Senator SMITH. Mr. Holmstead? Mr. HOLMSTEAD. I am delighted to be able to introduce my chil- dren as well. I am afraid we’re running short on granola bars so I don’t know how long they’ll last before they need to excuse them- selves. Let me first introduce my wife, Lisa Holmstead who is a full-time mother of our four children. Our oldest is Emily, who is 11 and a fifth grader at the Rachel Carson Elementary School in Gaithers- burg, Maryland. Her nickname is the reading machine. Next is my 8-year-old Eric. He’s a second grader at the Rachel Carson Elemen- tary School. He has an orange cast on his foot as a result of a biking accident but he’s hobbling around pretty well. Next is my 5- year-old daughter Elizabeth, who is in kindergarten and who loves to have breakfast with her dad. Finally is my 2-year-old son, Eli who is very happy to be here. He’s being held by my mother, his grandmother, Mellie Holmstead and my father who is seated next to her, Kay Holmstead. Both of them are visiting for this event from Bolder, Colorado. VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 4 Senator SMITH. Nice to have you here. Mr. Johnson? Mr. JOHNSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d like to introduce my family as well. My wife, Debbie, is with me today and our three children and our son-in-law. Our youngest daughter is Allison. She’s a freshman at Taylor University in Indi- ana and our son, Matthew, who is a junior at Taylor University. Their final exams are next week, so they really enjoyed the oppor- tunity to get out of class for a day to join us here. Senator SMITH. Would you have been here if it had been next week? [Laughter.] Mr. JOHNSON. And our oldest daughter, Kerry and our son-in- law, Jeremy, are with us today as well. It’s also my pleasure—and I’m not sure how unusual or routine this is—but my mother-in-law and father-in-law are here today. I’d like to introduce my father-in-law, John Jones and my mother-in- law, June Jones. For the record, I would like to note that believe I am in good standing as a son-in-law, at least as of this morning. Senator SMITH. Mr. Connaughton? Mr. CONNAUGHTON. Mr. Chairman, first, I’ll introduce my wife, Susanna Connaughton, and our two children, Spencer, who is nine and a third grader at Sidwell Friends School; and Grace, who is six and she’s at the Norwood School. Also with me are my parents, Jim and Monica Connaughton. You should know my parents came to this country shortly before I was born from Ireland, so I know this is a special moment for them. Also here is my mother-in-law, Stacey Bolten. I’m also in good standing with her. She lives next door to us so I’d better be. My sister, Eileen Hart, is here with my nephew, T.J., my niece, Tara, and my other nephew, Michael. Not here in person, but here in spirit are my sister, Bernadette; my brother, Paul; my brother, John; their spouses and an addi- tional ten nieces and nephews. There also is a whole crowd back in Ireland who are very eager to see the report of this hearing. Senator SMITH. Welcome to all of you. It’s nice to have you here. It’s nice to see you here to support your family member to have the honor of being nominated for a position in government. A lot of us feel it is honorable service and in spite of what you read, there are a lot of fantastic people who serve and make great sacrifices to serve in government. Senator Reid? OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. HARRY REID, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEVADA Senator REID. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator Mikulski has asked us to enter into the record a very nice letter that she wrote on your behalf, Mr. Johnson, culminating with ‘‘I believe Mr. Johnson’s nomination represents a unique ac- complishment for a career civil servant. I hope the committee will give him every appropriate consideration.’’ I would ask permission that my full statement be made a part of the record. VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1

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S. HRG. 107–324 NOMINATIONS OF THE 107th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION HEARINGS BEFORETHE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON MAY 17, 2001: LINDA FISHER, TO BE DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; JEFFREY HOLMSTEAD, TO BE ASSISTANT ADMINIS- TRATOR FOR AIR AND RADIATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; STE- PHEN JOHNSON, TOBEASSISTANTADMINISTRATORFORTOXICSUBSTANCES, EN- VIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; AND JAMES CONNAUGHTON, TO THE COUNCILONENVIRONMENTALQUALITY JULY 25, 2001: DAVID A. SAMPSON, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ECO- NOMIC DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE; ROBERT FABRICANT, TO BE GENERAL COUNSEL, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; GEORGE TRACY MEHAN III, TOBEASSISTANTADMINISTRATORFORWATER, ENVIRONMENTALPRO- TECTION AGENCY; JUDITH ELIZABETH AYRES, TO BE ASSISTANT ADMINIS- TRATOR FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; DONALD R. SCHREGARDUS, TO BE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR ENFORCE- MENTANDCOMPLIANCEASSURANCE, ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTIONAGENCY SEPTEMBER 21, 2001: BRIG. GEN. EDWIN J. ARNOLD, TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION; BRIG. GEN. CARL A. STROCK, TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION; NILS J. DIAZ, TO BE COMMISSIONER, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COM- MISSION; PATRICK HAYES JOHNSON, TOBEFEDERALCOCHAIRPERSON, DELTA REGIONALAUTHORITY; HAROLD CRAIG MANSON, TOBEASSISTANTSECRETARY FOR FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR; MARIANNE LAMONT HORINKO, TO BE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; PAUL MICHAEL PARKER, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY FOR CIVIL WORKS; AND MARY E. PETERS, TO BE ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENTOFTRANSPORTATION OCTOBER 17, 2001: WILLIAM W. BAXTER, TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AU- THORITY; KIMBERLY TERESE NELSON, TOBEASSISTANTADMINISTRATORFOR ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; AND STE- VEN A. WILLIAMS, TOBEDIRECTOR, U.S. FISHANDWILDLIFESERVICE, DEPART- MENTOFTHEINTERIOR U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 78–075PDF WASHINGTON : 2002 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS1 FIRST SESSION: JANUARY 25–JUNE 6, 2001 BOB SMITH, New Hampshire, Chairman HARRY REID, Nevada, Ranking Democratic Member JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia MAX BAUCUS, Montana JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma BOB GRAHAM, Florida CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio BARBARA BOXER, California MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho RON WYDEN, Oregon LINCOLN CHAFEE, Rhode Island THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey DAVE CONOVER, Republican Staff Director ERIC WASHBURN, Democratic Staff Director COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION: JULY 10–DECEMBER 20, 2001 JAMES M. JEFFORDS, Vermont, Chairman MAX BAUCUS, Montana BOB SMITH, New Hampshire HARRY REID, Nevada JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia BOB GRAHAM, Florida JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri BARBARA BOXER, California GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio RON WYDEN, Oregon MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware LINCOLN CHAFEE, Rhode Island HILARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado KEN CONNOLLY, Majority Staff Director DAVE CONOVER, Minority Staff Director 1NOTE: During the first session of the 107th Congress, the committee roster appeared in the Congressional Record on January 25, 2001. On June 6, 2001, the majority of the Senate changed from Republican to Democrat when Senator James M. Jeffords, of Vermont, changed party affiliation from Republican to Independent. Senator Harry Reid, of Ne- vada, assumed the chairmanship of the committee. On July 10, 2001, Senator Jeffords was appointed as chairman of the committee by the Democratic Leader. (II) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 C O N T E N T S Page MAY 17, 2001 OPENING STATEMENTS Baucus, Hon. Max, U.S. Senator from the State of Montana ............................ 27 Bond, Hon. Christopher S., U.S. Senator from the State of Missouri ............... 8 Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware ................. 8 Clinton, Hon. Hillary Rodham, U.S. Senator from the State of New York ....... 21 Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma ................... 6 Reid, Hon. Harry, U.S. Senator from the State of Nevada ................................ 4 Smith, Hon. Bob, U.S. Senator from the State of New Hampshire ................... 1 Voinovich, Hon. George V., U.S. Senator from the State ofOhio........................ 26 WITNESSES Connaughton, James, Nominated to be a Member of the Council on Environ- mental Quality ..................................................................................................... 14 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 104 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 102 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 114 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 115 Fisher, Linda, Nominated to be Deputy Administrator, Environmental Protec- tion Agency ........................................................................................................... 9 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 30 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 28 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 41 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 38 Senator Voinovich ..................................................................................... 40 Senator Wyden .......................................................................................... 43 Holmstead, Jeffrey, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency ............................................ 11 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 45 Letters, Comments on PM standards ............................................................. 72 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 44 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 69 Senator Clinton ......................................................................................... 70 Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 71 Senator Lieberman .................................................................................... 69 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 56 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 66 Senator Voinovich ..................................................................................... 67 Statement, Testimony before House committee on air quality standards ... 61 Johnson, Stephen, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Toxic Substances, Environmental Protection Agency ................................................. 13 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 83 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 81 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 100 Senator Clinton ......................................................................................... 102 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 98 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 96 (III) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 IV Page Johnson, Stephen, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Toxic Substances, Environmental Protection Agency—Continued Responses to additional questions from—Continued Senators Smith/Reid ................................................................................. 95 Senator Wyden .......................................................................................... 101 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Statement, nomination of Stephen Johnson, Senator Mikulski .......................... 2 JULY 25, 2001 OPENING STATEMENTS Bond, Hon. Christopher S., U.S. Senator from the State of Missouri ............... 120 Chafee, Hon. Lincoln, U.S. Senator from the State of Rhode Island ................. 125 Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma ................... 123 Jeffords, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont ................... 117 Smith, Hon. Bob, U.S. Senator from the State of New Hampshire ................... 120 Voinovich, Hon. George V., U.S. Senator from the State of Ohio ...................... 122 WITNESSES Ayres, Judith Elizabeth, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of International Activities, Environmental Protection Agency.............. 131 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 179 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 177 Fabricant, Robert, Nominated to be General Counsel, Environmental Protec- tion Agency ........................................................................................................... 127 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 149 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 148 Frost, Hon. Martin, U.S. Representative from the State of Texas ..................... 118 Hutchison, Hon. Kay Bailey, U.S. Senator from the State of Texas ................. 117 Mehan, George Tracy, III, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency........................................... 128 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 159 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 157 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Graham ........................................................................................ 176 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 175 Senator Voinovich ..................................................................................... 177 Sampson, David A., Nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Economic Devel- opment, Department of Commerce..................................................................119, 125 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 141 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 138 Responses to additional questions from Senator Smith ................................ 146 Schregardus, Donald R., Nominated to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Environmental Protec- tion Agency ........................................................................................................... 135 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 191 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 189 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 198 Senator Chafee .......................................................................................... 201 Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 201 SEPTEMBER 21, 2001 OPENING STATEMENTS Jeffords, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont ................... 205 Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware ................. 222 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 V Page WITNESSES Arnold, Brigadier General Edwin J., Nominated to be a Member and Presi- dent of the Mississippi River Commission ......................................................... 208 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 230 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 228 Cochran, Hon. Thad, U.S. Senator from the State of Mississippi...................... 206 Diaz, Nils J., Nominated to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commis- sion ........................................................................................................................ 209 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 239 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 237 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 268 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 270 Horinko, Marianne Lamont, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency 216 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 301 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 299 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Bond ............................................................................................. 315 Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 318 Senator Clinton ......................................................................................... 320 Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 319 Senator Jeffords......................................................................................... 311 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 313 Johnson, Patrick Hayes, Nominated to be Federal Cochairperson, Delta Re- gional Authority ................................................................................................... 209 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 274 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 272 Responses to additional questions from Senator Jeffords ............................. 288 Manson, Harold Craig, Nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wild- life, and Parks, Department of the Interior ....................................................... 214 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 322 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 320 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 333 Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 334 Senator Jeffords......................................................................................... 331 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 334 Parker, Paul Michael, Nominated to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Department of the Army.......................................................... 218 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 338 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 337 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 346 Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 349 Senator Clinton ......................................................................................... 352 Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 351 Senator Daschle ......................................................................................... 352 Senator Graham ........................................................................................ 348 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 344 Senator Wyden .......................................................................................... 347 Peters, Mary E., Nominated to be Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation ................................................ 219 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 355 Letter, Representative Bob Stump .................................................................. 354 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 352 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Jeffords......................................................................................... 363 Senator Lieberman .................................................................................... 366 Strock, Brigadier General Carl A., Nominated to be a Member of the Mis- sissippi River Commission................................................................................... 210 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 291 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 289 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Letter, nomination of Mary Peters, Rep. Bob Stump ........................................... 354 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 VI Page Statements: Lincoln, Hon. Blanche Lambert, U.S. Senator from the State of Arkansas 227 McCain, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Arizona ....................... 226 OCTOBER 17, 2001 OPENING STATEMENTS Jeffords, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont ................... 367 WITNESSES Baxter, William W., Nominated to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority...................................................................... 368 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 384 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 382 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Bunning ....................................................................................... 390 Senator Jeffords......................................................................................... 389 Senator Wyden .......................................................................................... 392 Nelson, Kimberly Terese, Nominated to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Environmental Information, Environmental Protection Agency ................. 371 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 395 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 392 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Bond ............................................................................................. 405 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 403 Roberts, Hon. Pat, U.S. Senator from the State of Kansas ................................ 373 Thompson, Hon. Fred, U.S. Senator from the State of Tennessee .................... 367 Williams, Steven A., Nominated to be Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv- ice, U.S. Department of the Interior................................................................... 374 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 408 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 406 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus.......................................................................................... 419 Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 419 Senator Chafee .......................................................................................... 418 Senator Lieberman .................................................................................... 423 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 417 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Frist, Hon. Bill, U.S. Senator from the State of Tennessee ................................. 381 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 NOMINATIONS OF THE 107th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2001 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, Washington, DC. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:30 a.m. in room 628, Senate Dirksen Building, Hon. Bob Smith (chairman of the com- mittee) presiding. CONSIDERATION OF THE NOMINATIONS OF LINDA FISHER, JEFFREY HOLMSTEAD, STEPHEN JOHNSON, AND JAMES CONNAUGHTON Present: Senators Smith, Reid, Inhofe, Carper, Bond and Clinton. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BOB SMITH, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE Senator SMITH. The nomination hearing will come to order. I would say good morning to the witnesses and our apologies for being late but the Senate had other ideas for us this morning as we had votes on the Senate floor. I’m going to give each of you an opportunity in just a moment to introduce your families who are here but first, by way of brief introduction for each of you, the purpose today is consider all four of your nominations for various positions at EPA—Linda Fisher, as Deputy Administrator of the EPA; Jeffrey Holmstead for the posi- tion of Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation; Stephen Johnson to serve as Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances; and finally Jim Connaughton, nominated to be a member of the Council on Environmental Quality. I’d like to thank them for join- ing us here today and for their willingness to meet with as many Senators and their staffs as possible since the President sent us their names. They are all very well qualified and I can say from my meetings with them, they are also quality individuals with quality families who we will meet here in a moment. The Office of Government Ethics has certified that all four of these nominees’ financial disclosure forms indicate that they are in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations governing con- flicts of interest. Linda Fisher, as President Bush’s nominee, is no stranger to the Agency. She has served in various positions in both the Reagan and Bush Administrations and while there, Ms. Fisher was award- ed the EPA Award for Sustained Outstanding Contributions to (1) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 2 International Environmental Protection in 1991 and the EPA Out- standing Service Award in 1984. After leaving EPA, she joined the private sector working for Monsanto, a company widely recognized for forward thinking on environmental matters. She most recently held the title of Vice President for Government Affairs at Monsanto. She holds a BA from Miami University, an MBA from George Washington and earned her law degree from the Ohio State Uni- versity. Jeffrey Holmstead, the nominee to be the new EPA Assistant Ad- ministrator for the Office of Air and Radiation also served in the first Bush Administration in the White House Counsel’s Office. In his position as Assistant Counsel Mr. Holmstead’s primary focus was environmental law, most recently working on the implementa- tion of the Clean Air Act. He also worked with the Reactivity Re- search Working Group and has been very involved in their efforts exploring new and more effective approaches for controlling ground level ozone. Mr. Holmstead holds a BA and an AA from Brigham Young, as well as a law degree from Yale. Stephen Johnson has been nominated to serve as EPA’s Assist- ant Administrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxics. He has 25 years of direct experience with the issues facing the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. He joined EPA in 1979 in the position of pathologist in that same of- fice. Most recently he has served as Acting Assistant Administrator in that office. For his service, he has received numerous annual performance awards, Special Act Award, 1991; Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, 1997; and has been nominated to receive the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award. Mr. Johnson earned a BA from Taylor University and a BS from George Washington. I would ask unanimous consent that a letter of support for Mr. Johnson from Senator Mikulski be entered in the record at this time. [The information referred to follows:] U.S. SENATE, Washington, DC 20510, May 17, 2001. Hon. BOBSMITH, Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate, Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510. DEAR SENATORS SMITH AND REID: I regret that I could not be there in person today to introduce Stephen Johnson, and I hope you will share this letter with the mem- bers of your committee as they consider Mr. Johnson’s nomination. As you know, Mr. Johnson has been nominated to serve as EPA’s Assistant Ad- ministrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances. He is cur- rently acting in this position, where he has the important responsibility of imple- menting our nation’s pesticide, toxic substance, and pollution prevention laws. Mr. Johnson is a lifelong resident of Maryland, and he has worked in public serv- ice for over 20 years. In his many years of service to EPA, he has held positions of increasing responsibility and earned several awards of distinction. His dedication and service to EPA demonstrates his commitment to upholding the Agency’s critical mission. VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 3 I believe that Mr. Johnson’s nomination represents a unique accomplishment for a career civil servant, and I hope that the committee will give him every appropriate consideration. Sincerely, BARBARAA. MIKULSKI, United States Senator. Senator SMITH. Finally, James Connaughton has been nominated to be a member of the President’s Council for Environmental Qual- ity. Mr. Connaughton has been a partner in the Environmental law firm of Sidley Austin Brown & Wood since 1991. He has spent his career working on a variety of environmental issues including com- pliance, environmental management, legislative issues and damage assessment. He has substantial experience with handling ecological risk and natural resource damage assessment and is knowledge- able in the implementation of local, State and Federal laws per- taining to environmental risk assessment. Before joining Sidley Austin, Mr. Connaughton clerked for the Honorable Marvin Aspen, U.S. District Court, Illinois. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale and his law de- gree from Northwestern. Welcome to all of you. Before I turn to Senator Reid and other members for opening statements, I would ask each of you at this time if you have family members here to please feel free to introduce them. We will start with you, Ms. Fisher. Ms. FISHER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the fact we can go ahead and introduce the children first. They have all pledged to perfect behavior throughout the hearing. We will keep our fingers crossed. Senator SMITH. That may not be true with the Senators. [Laughter.] Ms. FISHER. Let me first introduce my two children who are join- ing me today, my son, Keenan, 7 years old and a first grader at St. Patrick. As you can tell from his build, he is a hockey player and likes baseball and basketball. Next to him is my daughter, Kelly. Kelly is a kindergartener at St. Patrick’s and a 6-year-old. She likes gymnastics and soccer. Senator SMITH. Mr. Holmstead? Mr. HOLMSTEAD. I am delighted to be able to introduce my chil- dren as well. I am afraid we’re running short on granola bars so I don’t know how long they’ll last before they need to excuse them- selves. Let me first introduce my wife, Lisa Holmstead who is a full-time mother of our four children. Our oldest is Emily, who is 11 and a fifth grader at the Rachel Carson Elementary School in Gaithers- burg, Maryland. Her nickname is the reading machine. Next is my 8-year-old Eric. He’s a second grader at the Rachel Carson Elemen- tary School. He has an orange cast on his foot as a result of a biking accident but he’s hobbling around pretty well. Next is my 5- year-old daughter Elizabeth, who is in kindergarten and who loves to have breakfast with her dad. Finally is my 2-year-old son, Eli who is very happy to be here. He’s being held by my mother, his grandmother, Mellie Holmstead and my father who is seated next to her, Kay Holmstead. Both of them are visiting for this event from Bolder, Colorado. VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1 4 Senator SMITH. Nice to have you here. Mr. Johnson? Mr. JOHNSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d like to introduce my family as well. My wife, Debbie, is with me today and our three children and our son-in-law. Our youngest daughter is Allison. She’s a freshman at Taylor University in Indi- ana and our son, Matthew, who is a junior at Taylor University. Their final exams are next week, so they really enjoyed the oppor- tunity to get out of class for a day to join us here. Senator SMITH. Would you have been here if it had been next week? [Laughter.] Mr. JOHNSON. And our oldest daughter, Kerry and our son-in- law, Jeremy, are with us today as well. It’s also my pleasure—and I’m not sure how unusual or routine this is—but my mother-in-law and father-in-law are here today. I’d like to introduce my father-in-law, John Jones and my mother-in- law, June Jones. For the record, I would like to note that believe I am in good standing as a son-in-law, at least as of this morning. Senator SMITH. Mr. Connaughton? Mr. CONNAUGHTON. Mr. Chairman, first, I’ll introduce my wife, Susanna Connaughton, and our two children, Spencer, who is nine and a third grader at Sidwell Friends School; and Grace, who is six and she’s at the Norwood School. Also with me are my parents, Jim and Monica Connaughton. You should know my parents came to this country shortly before I was born from Ireland, so I know this is a special moment for them. Also here is my mother-in-law, Stacey Bolten. I’m also in good standing with her. She lives next door to us so I’d better be. My sister, Eileen Hart, is here with my nephew, T.J., my niece, Tara, and my other nephew, Michael. Not here in person, but here in spirit are my sister, Bernadette; my brother, Paul; my brother, John; their spouses and an addi- tional ten nieces and nephews. There also is a whole crowd back in Ireland who are very eager to see the report of this hearing. Senator SMITH. Welcome to all of you. It’s nice to have you here. It’s nice to see you here to support your family member to have the honor of being nominated for a position in government. A lot of us feel it is honorable service and in spite of what you read, there are a lot of fantastic people who serve and make great sacrifices to serve in government. Senator Reid? OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. HARRY REID, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEVADA Senator REID. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator Mikulski has asked us to enter into the record a very nice letter that she wrote on your behalf, Mr. Johnson, culminating with ‘‘I believe Mr. Johnson’s nomination represents a unique ac- complishment for a career civil servant. I hope the committee will give him every appropriate consideration.’’ I would ask permission that my full statement be made a part of the record. VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:18 Dec 30, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 78075 SENENV1 PsN: SENENV1

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