"David Uhlmann, the White House’s pick to lead the EPA’s enforcement office, will finally ascend to the job after the Senate voted 53-46 Thursday to confirm him following an odyssey lasting more than two years.
Uhlmann takes the leadership of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, which the Biden administration wants to get tough on polluters and other violators of federal air, water, land, and chemicals laws.
“There has not been a Senate-confirmed official leading EPA’s enforcement efforts for far too long,” Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said in floor remarks Thursday. “Mr. Uhlmann is exceptionally qualified to do this job. He brings to this position a long career that includes 17 years with the Department of Justice, serving in both Democratic and Republican administrations.”
In his 2021 confirmation hearing, Uhlmann said that he would “highlight the efforts of companies that promote ethics, integrity, and environmental stewardship, while holding accountable companies who break the law and expose our communities to harm.”"
Stephen Lee reports for Bloomberg Environment July 20, 2023.