Statement of Marianne
Lamont Horinko
Nominated to be
Assistant Administrator,
Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Before the Senate Environment
and Public Works Committee
Mr. Chairman, Senator Smith, and distinguished members of the Committee, Thank you for the privilege of coming before you today. I am honored that President Bush nominated me to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) at the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). I believe that all of the public and private sector positions that I have been fortunate enough to hold in the past have set the stage for this opportunity to serve our country. If confirmed, you have my word that I will bring thoughtful deliberation, integrity, and enthusiasm to the challenges that loom ahead.
I am especially proud to introduce my husband, Tim Horinko,
my children, Kaitlyn and Hunter, my parents, John and Johanna Maccini, and my
in-laws, Terry and Larry Horinko. Finally, I would also like to thank my many
colleagues and friends who have given so generously of their support and
friendship - not just today, but always.
I am particularly attracted to this opportunity to serve EPA
because, thanks to my father, I probably have some groundwater running through
my veins. My dad is a geologist who worked for many years as a university
professor and career civil servant at the National Science Foundation. He
taught me to love science, and by example, showed me that public service was
not merely a job, but a higher calling. My mother provided strong support and
reinforcement of our love of science arid curiosity about our natural
environment. Their great respect for the natural treasures of our lands
impressed me deeply, and it is because of their early influence that I chose
the protection of the environment as my own profession.
In my testimony today, I would like to share some of the key
themes and approaches I would bring to this position, if confirmed. They
include: innovation, information sharing, and partnerships.
One of my principal observations is that there has been a
sea change in Federal attitudes and approaches to managing waste since I left
EP A. The old command and control method has been supplemented, in some
measure, by partnerships and consensus building as the means of cooperative
problem solving.
The expansion of Brownfields approaches to other OSWER
programs is a symbol of that new way of thinking, and it carries the message of
productive future land uses as determined by local communities to all of our
waste efforts.
An example of that innovation is the emerging linkage
between environmental cleanup and community revitalization. The Brownfields
story is all about a new way of doing the government’s business. Like Governor
Whitman and President Bush, I wholeheartedly support
passage of Brownfields legislation during this session of
Congress. With a strong Brownfields bill and working in tandem with State and
local brownfields efforts, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.
Significant challenges face the EPA workforce. Much has been
made about the baby-boomer retirement outflow, and the need for a newly
energized and well-equipped workforce to address the challenges of the future.
We need to build a workforce that cherishes diversity, rewards innovative
thinking and creates an atmosphere where programmatic risk-taking is encouraged.
I think that there is also great opportunity on the
information side of the equation. More emphasis needs to be placed on ensuring
that all stakeholders have access to clear and understandable information about
the health and environmental risks they face. Policymaking
cannot and should not exist in a vacuum. I believe that the
people who create federal regulations should be required to meet face-to-face
with the citizens whose lives they impact. What better way to experience, first
hand, how the policies we make here in Washington, can affect the comfort and
quality of life in our towns and cities across the United States?
People outside the agency tell me that it's impossible to
figure out who does what in government in order to get simple answers to their
questions. Through partnerships and collaboration, the sharing of information
and practices among our cleanup programs will reduce the inconsistencies that
often plague our stakeholders. If confirmed, I pIa» to work closely with our
State and Tribal partners to ensure that all cleanups are both protective of
human health and the environment, as well as implemented with an eye toward
community revitalization.
Finally, given the tragic events of September 11, I feel
that I must take a moment to talk about a key role for the OSWER Assistant
Administrator as EP A's lead on counter-terrorism. I spent virtually all of
that fateful day with Governor Whitman and the outstanding staff at our Emergency
Operations Center on Pennsylvania Avenue. Amid an ocean of chaos, we observed,
with wonder and awe, an island of calm, steady professionals who make up EPA's
emergency response team. These individuals are not only technically and
substantively competent, but have pulled together an organized approach to
dealing with the horror of chemical, biological or air
attacks
on our citizens. When terror struck on Tuesday, they sprung into action and
made certain that the public health and safety of our people were protected and
assured. They are truly the unsung heroes of our government. If confirmed, I
pledge to give our counter-terrorism activities the highest priority, and to do
all that I can to make their jobs easier.