EDF Urges Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to Support Highly Qualified Nominees to Crucial Environmental Protection Agency Positions

Ahead of their confirmation hearings at the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee tomorrow, EDF announced its support for two highly qualified candidates for essential Environmental Protection Agency posts. 

David Uhlmann is being considered to lead EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Office, and Dr. Carlton Waterhouse will be considered for the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management, which is responsible for protecting public health and the environment from toxic spills and releases of hazardous materials. More detailed bios for both candidates are below.

“Mr. Uhlman and Dr. Waterhouse are outstanding nominees,” said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs. “Their careers have been defined by commitment, integrity, and results that help protect families from harmful pollution and advances environmental justice. We urge the Environment and Public Works Committee to support their swift confirmation.”

David Uhlmann is nominated to be the EPA Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. This official is responsible for ensuring that violators of federal law are held accountable. David Uhlmann served for 17 years as a federal prosecutor, including seven years as the Chief of the Environmental Crimes Section at the United States Department of Justice under both Republican and Democratic administrations. He knows and understands the federal environmental enforcement and compliance process. Mr. Uhlmann is fair-minded, and he works effectively with a broad range of environmental, government and industry professionals.       

Dr. Carlton Waterhouse is nominated to be the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. This official is responsible for protecting public health and the environment from toxic spills and releases of hazardous materials from facilities in communities across the country managing important land and waste programs like Superfund and Risk Management. Dr. Waterhouse has almost three decades of experience as an international expert of environmental law and environmental justice and holds a Ph.D. in social ethics. His academic experience is extensive, earning degrees in science, theology, and law. Dr. Waterhouse has been a champion for environmental justice, including during his tenure at the University of Indiana School of Law and recently at Howard University where he created the Environmental Justice Center to provide a platform for law students to provide legal and advocacy support to communities afflicted by pollution. Dr. Waterhouse’s unique combination of skills, experience and vision is precisely what EPA needs at this pivotal moment in history.