On July 19, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a nominations hearing which included the nomination of Mary Neumayr by President Trump to lead the Council on Environmental Quality(CEQ). Mary Neumayr is a former House of Representatives staffer and is currently the highest-ranking official at the CEQ, which coordinates environmental policy and regulations across agencies. Before joining CEQ, she served as deputy chief counsel of energy and environment, senior energy counsel, and counsel for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and also worked at the Department of Justice and Department of Energy.
While Committee Chair John Barrasso (R-WY) was very complimentary of Ms. Neumayr, pointing out her “extensive background in environmental law” and that “she has developed and has exhibited knowledge and skills to be a highly successful CEQ chairman,” Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE) stated his concerns including: ”Under Ms. Neumayr’s acting leadership, CEQ has signaled an intent to make significant revisions to the way the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) operates. While we should always look for opportunities to improve processes, we must also be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater by undermining critical protections for our communities and the environment.”
Trump’s first nominee, Kathleen Hartnett White, was opposed by Democrats and some Republicans and eventually withdrew her nomination.
