Faulted By Environmentalists, EPA Nominee Has Fans In US Senate

[Robbien]

Source: CNN Money

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- President-elect Barack Obama's choice to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is poised to easily overcome questions about her record when she appears on Wednesday at a hearing on her selection to lead the agency.

New Jersey environmentalists are divided over Lisa Jackson, a chemical engineer and former EPA employee who went on to lead the state's Department of Environmental Protection. New Jersey has more long-festering hazardous-waste sites than any other state. To some people, Jackson failed to rise to that challenge, by delaying and through steps that favored companies.

But in the U.S. Senate, the little-known EPA nominee is garnering bipartisan support. Democrats say that she will surely be an improvement on the Bush administration's top environmental regulator, Stephen Johnson. Republicans praise her personal qualities.

"She's accessible and reasonable," said Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., a climate- change skeptic who is the top Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, before which she will testify. "I plan to support her."

Read more: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200901130815DOWJONESDJONLINE000273_FORTUNE5.htm

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Inhofe, the guy who leads the GOP charge against the environment, loves the new EPA pick.

That says a lot.

[glowing]

1. Any person described in the Chemistry Section of the sciences scares the

shit out of me. The fact that anyone wants to monkey around so is out on a limb.. I much prefer trying to preserve the natural world and study that. Much safer than making the next super bomb or super Bug.

[mrs_p]

2. chemistry makes up the natural world

every thing is made of chemical elements, which is the basis for all life. now, if you were talking about splitting particles, i could understand your concern...

[glowing]

5. Yes, but a true chemist who understands it scares me to peices.

Most people I know majored in biology because chemistry is harder to grasp... There's organic chem and inorganic chem... There's a reason that women around chemicals, ie, chemistry, have a higher rate of birth defects.. or have to leave from the moment they are preggo. Depending on a dept.

[mrs_p]

7. i totally hear you

but i would also like to stress that chemistry isn't an evil discipline, and all scientists (including biologists like myself) need to have a working grasp of chemistry - both organic and inorganic. i also work in a lab with chemicals and there are certain precautions one should take (wearing gloves, opening bottles in hoods, using masks when necessary, etc). finally, without chemistry, we wouldn't have many of the medications that are used in routine treatments.

[glowing]

11. Oh, def. I worked in an environmental testing lab. 3 yrs in a row, my levels

at an anual physical went up. The chemicals I was around altered my mood, stressed me out, and made me feel fatigued. The 3 managers before myself, all women, were on Paxil and one had a still born in womb. Anyway, hoods do a lot, but it depends on the lab and the insistance on safety. If your in R & D, its much better. If you are in business, not so much. I no longer work there.

Yes, I had to know the general things about not adding water and acid the wrong way and diff. compounds etc, etc... but if you aren't in R & D, the SOP's are already written and your just a rat on the wheel following the approved EPA model.. btw, I by-passed most of the old models and just did it faster. I had the highest productivity ever produced from the lab, however I almost lost my sanity.

I'm hoping like hell Obama opens a program prof. teach for return of more education... I want my masters and phd. I cannot afford that and a kid and husband and to live. I wish I could. Another thing that needs to be fixed.. if you got the will and the smarts, they should be paying us to go to school.

[mrs_p]

13. yeah - grad school

is very expensive, and if you have already had a "life" and grown-up responsibilities, not only is the lack of money difficult, but so too is the lack of respect. but, it will be well worth it (at least, that is what i've been telling myself in this second of seven year program). best of luck!!

[glowing]

16. I'm from a long line of teachers.. not one of those absent minded peoples.

When I lead study group, everyone asked, "why can't he teach it like you explained it.. I get it now." Its not for everyone, but I would cetainly be willing to trade professional exp and training for at least my graduate work... I'm only 30 this year.. I'm not so old, but that responsibility thing is a killer.. and in my degree Marine/ Environmental Science wasn't in high demand once Bush was selected. I, unfortunately, graduated in 2001. Had we had an AL.. man the possibilities just make me so upset.. its what got me into politics in the first place.

[blendermax]

3. Engineering chemicals

to form new, unnatural substances that are not part of the natural world. that's what chemical engineers do.

This is one of Obama's worst cabinet picks. Jackson's record as the environmental head in New Jersey is less then impressive. She didn't actually do anything to protect the environment. she is no improvement over the current Bush appointee.

[Runcible Spoon]

4. Sigh.

I hope everyone who keeps shouting that these picks will strictly follow Obama's agenda are right. I also hope that Obama's agenda includes protecting teh environment, even at the cost of corporate dollars.

[Hayduke Lives]

6. Another disappointing pick

On my good days, I get this optimistic fantasy that Obama's strategy is pure genius. He's appointing all these right wingers to disarm the opposition, trojan horse style.

Lisa Jackson is going to put the kibosh on polluters.
Hillary Clinton is going to crush AIPAC.
Sanjay Gupta is going to give us universal single payer health care.

The sun is shining, and it's a beautiful day...

[bertman]

8. Me, too, Hayduke Lives.

[GDAEx2]

9. "I plan to support her." = Inhofe loves her

That says a lot.

:eyes:

[Unca Jim]

10. Wait...

We don't want someone who understands dangerous chemicals running the agency that regulates pollution?

Why wouldn't we? That makes her *more* qualified for EPA, not less.


And "some people" sounds disturbingly like the Fox News "some say"...I'd like to know who's against her and why. New Jersey has made a lot of environmental progress lately. Maybe she's partially responsible for that.


Of course a slug like Inhofe should have no say in our environmental policies, but I imagine the Republicans will confirm all of Obama's picks.

[groundloop]

12. chemical engineers

"Engineering chemicals to form new, unnatural substances that are not part of the natural world. that's what chemical engineers do."


Ummm.... actually chemical engineers don't "engineer chemicals". Most chemical engineers work in manufacturing situations doing things such as designing and improving processes to manufacture a specific product, upgrading equipment, keeping equipment running, pollution control, and so on. (I feel qualified to comment on this because my first degree was in chemical engineering.)


This is one of Obama's worst cabinet picks.

Well, I don't buy that. Now the fact that Inhofe likes her maybe isn't a great qualifier, but he never said that she supports his views, only that she "accesible and reasonable". A president could do far far worse in choosing someone to head the EPA, like someone with no technical training who's only there to impede progress (maybe someone like the soon to be former president would favor).

[damntexdem]

14. If Inhofe likes her, that IS a bad sign.

[CreekDog]

15. It's not really fair to characterize her as unpopular with environmentalists

when in fact environmental groups have praised the pick.

PEER has been critical with other environmental groups questioning that criticism.

[WhiteTara]

17. says a lot and

it scares me
:hide:

[w4rma]

18. Damn, Obama is a really slick DLCer. He had me going for a while during the general election.

I supported Edwards.

Now it's becoming obvious that he's been making back room promises.