Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Hearing on the Nomination of Michael Leavitt to be Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
September 23, 2003
Mr.
Chairman, Senator Jeffords, thank-you for calling this hearing today to
consider the nomination of Michael Leavitt to be Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency.
This
is an important nomination, to an agency that should set the gold standard for
protecting the public’s health and their environment. Lately, the EPA has struggled to set that standard, reaching a
low point when former Administrator Christie Whitman stepped down early this
summer. I believe Ms. Whitman tried hard to be faithful to the mission of the
EPA; she certainly always responded well to requests I made of her for my
constituents in Montana.
But,
I don’t think that Ms. Whitman received the support she needed and deserved
from the Administration. I admire and
respect her decision to step down.
Which is why I’ve told Mr. Leavitt that I’m
not quite sure why he wants this job.
But, I take him at his word that he will stand firm and honor the
commitments he makes on behalf of the EPA, to me, to this Committee or to the
American people. The EPA needs someone
to restore trust and accountability to the agency.
The Chairman has asked us
to keep our remarks brief, so I will turn to the issue that means the most to
me, and that is protecting the people of Libby, Montana.
Mr. Chairman, Governor
Leavitt – people
are dying in Libby. Hundreds have
already died. In fact, more than 300
people are buried in Libby alone, their deaths all related to asbestos exposure
that resulted from the vermiculite mining activities of WR Grace.
The
EPA finally came to Libby about three years ago. Since that time, a tremendous amount of federal resources have
poured into Libby, to start cleaning up WR Grace’s mess and to screen residents
for asbestos-related disease.
The
results of these efforts have been staggering – asbestos was and still is
everywhere in Libby, in homes, gardens, driveways, even in the high school
track. Additionally, the Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has found that people from Libby suffer
from asbestos related disease at a rate that is 40-60 times the national
average. They suffer from a rare
asbestos-caused cancer, mesothelioma (MEE-SO-THEE-LEE-OMA), at a rate 100 times
the national average.
Even
though we are three years into EPA’s clean-up of Libby, only 10% of the total
amount of clean-up work has been completed.
Last
year, Marianne Horinko testified before this committee and promised me EPA
would clean-up the town of Libby in two years, in 2004. Now, EPA tells me it will be closer to five
years, maybe by 2008.
This
greatly concerns me. This town is
sitting on a pile of asbestos. The
residents of this town were exposed to high levels of asbestos for years. Many of them, as I have already pointed out,
are dead. Libby must remain a top, top
priority for EPA, for funding, for staff, for resources.
The
Libby project should be a prime example that EPA can point to on how Superfund
protects Americans.
The
investment of millions of federal dollars in Libby, Montana -- nearly $90
million to date – merits careful follow-up and focus. This project was started well; it deserves to be finished
well. We can’t lose focus now.
Ever
since Whitman stepped down, and the on-site coordinator, Paul Peronard, was
transferred out of Libby, folks in Libby tell my staff that EPA’s attitude has
shifted. EPA staff appear over-worked,
and tired, lacking adequate support from Region 8 and headquarters. We have heard of dozens of examples of EPA
staff acting in a less than professional manner with Libby residents. Libby, and the EPA, deserve better.
Mr.
Leavitt – I ask for your commitment today to make a Libby a top priority for
EPA and for you personally if you are confirmed as Administrator. That means maintaining momentum and focus on
the clean-up work until the town has a clean bill of health sooner rather than
later.
I
also ask you to come to Montana, and to commit to meeting with EPA folks on the
ground and with members of the Libby community to better understand what is
needed in Libby to get the job done.
The
people of Libby have suffered enough.
It’s our responsibility to take that town off the National Priorities
List as soon as possible.
Thank
you, Mr. Chairman.