‘We Inherited Many Backlogs’: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Slams Biden’s Energy Record

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During a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, Rep. John Joyce (R-PA) questioned EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin about Biden's energy record.

Transcript

00:00Jim Mignol is back and now recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Joyce, for five minutes.

00:04Thank you, Chairman Griffith and Ranking Member Tonko for holding this important hearing.

00:08And thank you, Administrator Zellman, for testifying here today.

00:12The Biden administration's EPA championed the worst tendencies of bureaucracy,

00:19unleashing a slew of burdensome rules that were often unrealistic or impossible

00:24for U.S. businesses, U.S. farmers, or U.S. communities to address.

00:30Now, with the Trump administration and your leadership,

00:33we have seen a return to a more common-sense approach

00:36that seeks to realize our shared goal of a cleaner and a healthier environment

00:41by prioritizing engagement with all stakeholders

00:45and leveraging something that we recognize to be so important, and that is American innovation.

00:52We have also seen the benefits of this approach

00:54as the relief provided from these burdensome regulations

00:57has been accompanied by a multitude of environmental wins.

01:02I would ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a release detailing these clean environmental actions.

01:10Without objection, so ordered.

01:13Administrator Zellman, how has streamlining the EPA's workforce

01:17and creating a more efficient agency helped you better accomplish your mission

01:23of protecting human health and the environment simultaneously?

01:28One of the beauties of how we've approached this process

01:32is that we solicited feedback from people who had been inside of the agency for a very long time,

01:38inside of each of the program offices,

01:40and we asked them, what do you need in order to be able to do your job better?

01:44With regards to all statutory obligations, we inherited so many backlogs.

01:49The pesticides review was something like 14,000.

01:53New chemical review, several hundred.

01:56State implementation plan backlog.

02:00Small refinery exemption backlog.

02:02And the list goes on.

02:03All these backlogs we inherited.

02:05We show up on day one.

02:06It's like, hey, here you go.

02:07That's okay.

02:07We don't mind getting a big mess to fix.

02:10We're happy to do it.

02:11So what happens when we have this 14,000 pesticide review backlog

02:15or a 500 or so new chemical backlog?

02:19How do we fix it?

02:19So we go to the Office of Chemicals, and I speak not just to the political staff.

02:24I speak to the career staff.

02:25What do you need?

02:26There's primarily two needs.

02:29One is they need, they could use more scientists.

02:33Great.

02:34That's part of the reorg.

02:35We get them more scientists.

02:36And two, they need help in updating their infrastructure.

02:41Now, Congress helped with that.

02:43It was part of an anomaly in a SCR, $17 million, to update the infrastructure.

02:49And we're putting it to good use.

02:51And we're going to be able to get down that backlog.

02:54With the pesticide review, we've already gotten it down over 2,300 coming into this,

02:59and we're going to keep going.

02:59Thank you for that hard work.

03:02I appreciate the EPA providing a path to regulatory relief for companies impacted by the EPA's HON role,

03:11which imposed new regulations on ethylene oxide.

03:14As you know, ethylene oxide is critical in many sectors, including the use of sterilization of medical equipment.

03:22Over 50% of medical devices in the United States utilize ethylene oxide for that sterilization.

03:30When can we expect decisions on the requests made under the relief pathway to ensure companies are not spending millions of dollars

03:38in an effort to comply with the flawed Biden rule?

03:43Thank you, Congressman, for raising this.

03:45And we're working to get it done this year.

03:48We're doing a lot at once, and that's okay.

03:52I know that it's a lot that's on our plate, but we're going to get it done.

03:56We've seen a lot of concerns.

03:59And, you know, for sake of time, I could either go through some of them or not.

04:03It's up to you, Congressman.

04:05Well, thank you.

04:05I look forward to that answer.

04:09Administrator Zeldin, at the start of this month, the House passed MyCRA,

04:14which would overturn the EPA's role that granted a California waiver,

04:19allowing them to more effectively utilize what consumers want.

04:23You talked about that in your statement, listening to what the consumer, what American wants.

04:28American wants to be able to choose what type of engine is under the hood of their car.

04:33Can you speak on the importance of consumer choice and how free market innovation,

04:39not unattainable government mandates, are the most effective way to lower emissions in the auto industry?

04:47Congressman, the Trump EPA believes that if you want to go out and purchase a gas-powered vehicle,

04:51you should be able to go out and purchase a gas-powered vehicle.

04:54If you want to go out and purchase an electric vehicle,

04:56you should go out and be able to purchase an electric vehicle.

04:59Consumer choice is very important.

05:01The ranking member of the full committee made a reference to clean energy

05:09without referencing baseload power and the need for it,

05:13as if wind, an intermittent source, is going to be a substitute for all these forms of baseload power.

05:21So consumer choice is important, and being realistic is incredibly important.

05:27Common sense is something the American public demands.

05:30Thank you. My time has expired.

05:32Thank you for the realistic, common-sense approach you are directing the EPA.

05:36Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

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