President Trump announced his intent to nominate former U.S. EPA waste chief Susan Bodine to head up the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance ("OECA"). Since 2015, Bodine has served as chief counsel on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and formerly served as the assistant administrator of the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Management (now known as Office of Land and Emergency Management). This nomination may put to bed rumors that had been swirling that the Administration was looking to eliminate OECA and represents the first nomination by the new Administration for an open U.S. EPA position since the nomination of Scott Pruitt as U.S. EPA Administrator.
Bodine's prior experience may be useful in helping to advance several of Administrator's Pruitt's priorities, including speeding up Superfund cleanups and returning some enforcement roles back to U.S. EPA program offices. The challenge, of course, will be accomplishing these goals in light of the anticipated significant budget cuts within U.S. EPA. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), the environmental committee chairman, promised a prompt hearing on Bodine's nomination.
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