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An E&E Publishing Service
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EPA: McCarthy announces acting bosses for top posts (Thursday, August 7, 2014)
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Robin Bravender, E&E reporter
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U.S. EPA chief Gina McCarthy today announced a raft of new acting officials — including a temporary second in command — who could be on the job for some time amid a sluggish confirmation process.
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McCarthy announced today that Lisa Feldt, EPA’s deputy associate administrator, will be stepping in as EPA’s new acting deputy administrator. Longtime deputy chief Bob Perciasepe is starting Monday as president of the nonprofit Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (Greenwire, July 17).
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Feldt was formerly deputy assistant administrator in the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response and was promoted to work in Perciasepe’s office last year (E&E Daily, July 26, 2013). She’s also worked for the Energy Department.
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“I have full confidence that she will be able to step in and carry the baton where Bob’s left off,” McCarthy said today in a meeting with staff announcing several personnel changes. The administration has yet to announce a nominee to replace Perciasepe on a permanent basis, and it’s unclear whether a nominee would win Senate approval before the end of President Obama’s term.
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With EPA’s top human resources official, Craig Hooks, also headed for the exit, McCarthy announced that his deputy will be filling in. Nanci Gelb, the principal deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Administration and Resources Management, will become acting administrator, McCarthy said, adding that she is “no doubt up to the challenge.”
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EPA’s acting chief financial officer, Maryann Froehlich, is also leaving the agency. Her acting deputy, David Bloom, will take over the acting CFO job. Victoria Wassmer was nominated to fill the role permanently last September, but her nomination has stalled in the Senate.
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Lastly, EPA’s acting water chief Nancy Stoner is leaving the agency to lead the San Francisco-based Pisces Foundation’s new water program. McCarthy announced that Ken Kopocis — Obama’s long-stalled nominee to head the water program — will now serve as deputy assistant administrator in that office. He has been a senior adviser in the office as his confirmation to lead it has languished in the Senate for more than three years.
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“The Office of Water is carrying the weight on an incredibly important issue for us — our recently proposed Clean Water rule,” McCarthy said. “Ken’s been incredibly valuable in his current role as senior adviser, and will continue to be in his new role.”
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McCarthy called all of the departures bittersweet and gave her longtime colleague Perciasepe a personal send-off speech, according to her prepared remarks.
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“Bob — I’m going to miss the baseball, the bobbleheads, and the birds,” she said. “I’m going to miss you wearing jeans on Friday, only to realize that you have to change into a suit for that White House meeting. I’m going to miss your quick wit and your even quicker smarts. And of course, I’m going to miss your sage advice and just hanging out with you.”
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