S. HRG. 107±3 NOMINATION OF CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON THE NOMINATION OF HON. CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN TO BE ADMINISTRATOR, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY JANUARY 17, 2001 Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 69±822 CC WASHINGTON : 2001 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION HARRY REID, Nevada, Chairman BOB SMITH, New Hampshire, Ranking Republican Member MAX BAUCUS, Montana 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 HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado ERIC WASHBURN, Democratic Staff Director DAVE CONOVER, Republican Staff Director (II) (II) CONTENTS Page JANUARY 17, 2001 OPENING STATEMENTS Baucus, Hon. Max, U.S. Senator from the State of Montana .............................. 73 Bond, Hon. Christopher S., U.S. Senator from the State of Missouri ................. 25 Boxer, Hon. Barbara, U.S. Senator from the State of California ........................ 11 Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware ................... 15 Chafee, Hon. Lincoln, U.S. Senator from the State of Rhode Island .................. 17 Clinton, Hon. Hillary Rodham, U.S. Senator from the State of New York ........ 24 Graham, Hon. Bob, U.S. Senator from the State of Florida ................................ 28 Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma .................... 14 Lieberman, Hon. Joseph I., U.S. Senator from the State of Connecticut ........... 17 Reid, Hon. Harry, U.S. Senator from the State of Nevada .................................. 1 Smith, Hon. Bob, U.S. Senator from the State of New Hampshire ..................... 3 Vonovich, Hon. George V., U.S. Senator from the State of Ohio ......................... 19 Warner, Hon. John W., U.S. Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia ....... 4 WITNESSES Corzine, Hon. Jon S., U.S. Senator from the State of New Jersey ...................... 8 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 73 Frelinghuysen, Hon. Rodney P., U.S. Representative from the State of New Jersey .................................................................................................................... 9 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 75 Torricelli, Hon. Robert G., U.S. Senator from the State of New Jersey .............. 5 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 74 Whitman, Hon. Christine Todd, Governor of of the State of New Jersey and nominee to be Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency .... 29 Biographical sketch .......................................................................................... 88 Committee questionnaire ................................................................................. 78 List, Accomplishments of Governor Whitman for the Environment ............ 155 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 75 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Baucus .......................................................................................... 101 Senator Bennett ........................................................................................ 116 Senator Bond ............................................................................................. 107 Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 102 Senator Carper .......................................................................................... 104 Senator Chafee .......................................................................................... 115 Senator Clinton ......................................................................................... 115 Senator Corzine ......................................................................................... 104 Senator Crapo ............................................................................................ 113 Senator Inhofe ........................................................................................... 105 Senator Lieberman .................................................................................... 101 Senator Reid .............................................................................................. 90 Senator Smith ............................................................................................ 99 Senator Voinovich ..................................................................................... 108 Responses to questions from Sierra Club ................................... 132±139, 141±152 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Articles: Bush-Whitman Agenda Will Hurt Environment ........................................... 124 (iii) iv Page ArticlesÐContinued Whitman Appointment Is Cause for Concern ................................................ 125 Letters: American Civil Rights Coalition ...................................................................... 158 City of Hoboken, NJ, Mayor Anthony J. Russo ............................................. 163 City of Newark, NJ, Mayor Sharpe James ..................................................... 158 Clean Ocean Action .......................................................................................... 154 National Association of Realtors ..................................................................... 157 New Jersey Institute of Technology ................................................................ 154 New Jersey Sierra Club and Audubon Society........................................... 120, 128 Ogden, Maureen ............................................................................................... 156 Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility ..................................... 152 Several New Jersey State Senators ................................................................ 123 Memoranda, New Jersey environmental regulations........................................ 126, 127 Statements: Atlantic City Branch of the NAACP ............................................................... 159 Communications Workers of America Local 1033, Trenton, NJ ................... 161 Gale Warnings, New Jersey Sierra Club ........................................................ 117 Whitman Sampler, New Jersey Sierra Club .................................................. 139 NOMINATION OF HON. CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 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 406, Dirksen Senate Building, Hon. Bob Smith (chairman of the com- mittee) presiding. Present: Senators Smith, Warner, Inhofe, Bond, Voinovich, Chafee, Graham, Lieberman, Boxer, Carper, Clinton and Corzine. Senator SMITH. Good morning, everyone. I have the distinction and the pleasure of presenting this gavel to the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. I would just say I have a tracking device on this and it looks like it's going to bounce back here in 3 or 4 days but I'm pleased and honored to present you this gavel and look forward to working with you in both capacities over the next few years. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. HARRY REID, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEVADA Senator REID. (assuming the chair). Senator Smith, thank you very much. Bob Smith and I have worked very closely together for many years in capacities we would rather not have worked. We were the lead Democrat and lead Republican on the Ethics Committee for a number of years where we worked to try to bring peace and quiet to the Senate. We also worked together on the MIA/POW Select Committee. I want to welcome President-elect Bush's nominee for Adminis- trator of the Environmental Protection Agency. I want to do this with kind of an outline of what we are going to do here. I'm going to give a brief statement; Senator Smith will give a statement. We are going to then have Governor Whitman in- troduced by Senators Torricelli and Corzine and Representative Frelinghuysen. After that, we will have statements from members of the committee. After that, the reason we are all here is to see how well Governor Whitman responds to all these questions. We look forward to this hearing. As you can see, there is tremen- dous interestÐthis is a very important position for our country. I want to welcome your family. I had the pleasure this morning, Governor Whitman, of meeting your husband. It's obvious that ev- (1) 2 erything that has been indicated about how supportive he has been of you and you of him is certainly valid from our conversation. I can't begin this hearing without saying how great it is sitting here as chairman of this committee for a couple more days. This is a committee that I've served on since I came to Washington