We take you live now to the house science, space, Technology Committee hearing featuring epa administrator Michael Regan. The hearing will review the Environmental ProtectionAgency Science and technical activities and their use in policymaking. The committee will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recesses of the committee at any time. Opening statements. I would like to also request unanimous consent to submit chairman lucas Opening Statement for the record. Now recognize myself for five minutes for an Opening Statement. I would like to welcome everyone to this mornings hearing for science and technology at the Environmental Protection agency. I am pleased to welcome epa administrator Michael Regan for the first time in front of the Science Committee. In fact, this is the first time any epa administrator has testified since 2019 so we certainly have a lot to discuss. While i appreciate you joining us today, your testimony was sent to the committee unacceptably late we require witnesses to share their written testimony no less than 48 hours ahead of our hearing. This is not an arbitrary deadline. Members need time to review the statement so we can fully review for these questions. We invited you to testify in july so you have plenty of time to meet this deadline. While i know you have an internal review process, Previous Administration witnesses have had no problem getting us through testimony on time. Given the importance of science at epa, it is my hope and chairman lucas that the administrator will come before this committee regularly in the future so i expect that the next time you join us we will have your testimony ahead of time so we can have the most productive discussion possible. When necessary, deregulatory agendas. Although it has been a while since we have heard it, every epa administrator that has come before our committee has stressed the need for scientific integrity at the epa and the importance overlying the expertise of career staff and scientists when crafting the regulations and policies of the agency. That reliance is especially important today, given the fact that the biden administrations epa has promulgated 1083 rules to date. That is nearly 55 rules a month since the president took office. There is no industry exempt from the wide range of topics. From pesticides and agriculture to admissions for power plants, the chemicals and manufacturing regulations have the potential to hamstring our economy. Administrator reagans epa has set very ambitious goals, reducing emissions from the power sector by 80 , having two thirds on the car on the road be zero mission and eliminating methane emissions in the country, to name a few. Admirable as those may be, we simply cannot set goals about analyzing the economic and social costs to achieve them. We cant just flip the switch, offer Domestic Production unless we have affordable and reliable replacements. Otherwise, hospitals and military bases would go dark, families would struggle to make ends meet, businesses would close and lives would be lost. We have to be realistic about what these goals require from the people we serve. Additionally, todays hearing is an opportunity to get an update from the administrator on the influx of funding the agency has received through the ira. No matter what side of the political spectrum you sit on, this is spending and is vulnerable to the waste, fraud, abuse. This funding is set to positively impact crucial sectors of our economy and has the potential to fund wasteful projects that line the pockets of select environmental groups and prop up technologies that will never achieve success on their own in the market. We must carefully examine the agencys processes, to set of new programs, get money out the door and monitor the progress well into the future. I want to thank the administrator for being here today and i will end with this. Testifying is a lot like a doctors appointment. While we are perfectly looking for things that are wrong you will hear criticisms on how things look. It is because we want to event actions from turning into a problem. Everyone wants an effective, smoothly running Environmental Protection agency and today is a necessary step to ensure that. I hope we can Work Together to ensure epa is doing things for people and not to people. I now would like to recognize the Ranking Member, the gentleman from california for Opening Statements. I thank you very much. Thank you for being here with us today. Before saying anything else, i just want to say how delighted i am to see chairman lucas back here. On behalf of all members and staff, we are wishing you continued success on your recovery. We stand ready to do whatever we can to assist and it is really terrific to see you back. I also want to discuss the epas research and development work. The epa has a unique and Important Mission to put humans and Environmental Health at the center of everything they do. The office of research and development serves a crucial role in that mission. The office drives the science that the regulatory offices rely on to ensure they are setting help protective standards. It puts out stateoftheart assessments that state, local, tribal governments rely on to protect their residents. Epa laboratories across the country monitor air pollutants, soil for contaminants, and water, to track viruses including covid19. All americans, whether they know it or not, depend on epa to deliver on its clear mandate to Prioritize Health and safety above all else. Under your leadership, this epa has made incredible efforts to bring this issue to Environmental Justice communities. These communities have been on the front lines of devastating pollution by industry and sometimes by the federal government itself. Some bear an incredibly high risk of cancer due to dumping by chemical companies. Others worry that environmental contaminants and anemic government responses will have irreversible impact on their childrens development. They have been neglected in programs that have prioritized and Climate Resilience and other better resource areas. Epa new office of Environmental Justice and external civil rights is an important step in addressing these needs and connecting these communities with muchneeded information and resources. I am proud of the work we did in the last congress to fund this effort. The Inflation Reduction Act provided 41 billion to the agency to advance justice and the infrastructure law included 50 billion to include Water Infrastructure and quality. I look forward to hearing how congress can continue to support this important work. Today we are hurtling toward a Government Shutdown. They are taking priority over the functioning of our government and, by extension, the health and wellbeing of all americans. Administrator regan is a perfect witness. This year, we have seen at least 23 weather and climate related disasters with losses exceeding 1 billion. In the thick of hurricane season, how will epa determine it is safe to drink the water . Epa provides Rapid Response to manmade disasters as well. What if there is another catastrophic chain Train Derailment like we saw in ohio . Epa cant effectively respond and inform evacuation orders if their hands are tied by this manufacturing crisis. How many serious consequences of this shutdown that we face would exist . As you know, from my previous comments, i want to raise the issue of the last leaded fuel in transportation and that is a leaded fuel in general aviation airlines. We have a situation where children are being poisoned by the lead in these fuels. We have a study out of my own county showing that the airborne particles from emissions in small planes have elevated the lead in the blood level of children near that airport to rival flint, michigan. We need to do something soon and aggressive about this Health Problem and i am hoping you can talk further about that is this hearing goes on. With that, i look forward to our witnesses testimony and our opportunity to ask questions. I yield back. Thank you to the Ranking Member. I know my official Opening Statements have been entered into the record but i would like to take just a moment to think was the Ranking Member and all of the subcommittee chairmen who handle the hearings while i have been gone. For that member, this committee is a very productive committee. We are very focused. Why may move a little slower, i have Great Expectations about why what we are going to accomplish in this session. Thank you to all of my colleagues. You have been wonderful. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I would like to recognize the gentleman from North Carolina to introduce our witness. Thank you. It is wonderful to see chairman lucas back. We have missed him and he has been a great leader of this community. It is a privilege to introduce my friend and fellow north carolinian administrator Michael Regan. Administrator regans distinguished service at the North Carolina department of environmental equality set a strong example for other states around the country. Now we are sharing him with the whole country. He has been a real champion in addressing contamination. My North Carolina colleague have seen worldclass Water Treatment facility on the river and our state and local governments would not have gotten to this point without the administrators outstanding work in this area. Now, at the epa, he and his staff are working tirelessly to tackle the contamination problem and many others. He recognizes that we have a duty at the federal level to protect the health and safety of our people, our communities and our environment. Thank you for your leadership and i look forward to hearing your testimony. I yield back. Thank you, administrator regan. You are now recognized for five minutes. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for personally inviting me in april at the House Agriculture Committee to join you today. I am glad to be here. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the role here. Protecting Public Health. As a sciencebased agency, sound and reliable science is central to all of our work. Epa continues to uphold the biden administrations commitment to rely on science with Public Health and environmental challenges like the Climate Crisis, lead, air quality, wildfires, Childrens Health and many others. We are guided by the fundamental belief that the health of people, of our environment and our economy, go handinhand. We have a golden opportunity not only to make immunities healthy and safer bet to deliver lifechanging programs in these communities that can catalyze local growth. We are committed to scientific integrity to help us achieve our ambitious climate and economic goals. Our dedicated and talented staff work on so many critical issues. Over the past two years, we have taken strides to ensure that all people have access to clean and save Drinking Water. Communities across the United States have been exposed to harmful. In 2021, epa released the strategic roadmap. A coordinated strategy to protect the public and deadly from this chemical compound. As the science continues to develop, we know more now than ever about pfas and how it can cause Adverse Health impacts that can devastate entire communities. Earlier this year, epa proposed the firstever legal limits for pfas, informed by the hard work and analysis. We expect to issue a final Drinking Water will in the coming months. While sciences helped us make significant progress, we increase our understanding. Our scientists are focused on tech. They are understanding the risk that pfas has on our health and ways we can reduce what is already in our environment. Every stakeholder, including congress will enact and implement pfas solutions to stand the test of time. Science is not just about finding problems. It is about fixing them. That is why i am grateful to congress for providing 10 billion from the bipartisan Interest Rate law to address contaminants which we have begun distributing. I am hopeful and optimistic that epa science would lead to a cleaner and healthier future for all. Epa is using science to help address many of the issues for our health and to our environment. Over the past 20 years, the numbers of acres burned annually due to wildfires in the United States has doubled. Wildfires are a major source of air pollution and emissions can travel thousands of miles, impacting the help of millions. This past summer we saw the smoke from wildfires in canada bring dangerous air pollution to the midwest and east coast and last month, we saw how wildfires in maui brought unimaginable loss to families, homes, and businesses. Epa scientists are developing new ways to model and monitor those emissions and are working to understand what additional toxins might be present in the smoke, particularly wildfires that cross into urban areas and burn manmade structures. Lastly, i would like to speak about the work our agency has done involving lead exposure. The science is clear. There is no safe level of exposure to lead, period. Epa has and is a leader in president bidens approach to protecting families and children from lead exposure. To date, this administration has funded the rule of over 100,000 lead services and that number was significantly increased, thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law. Our scientists will continue to research and develop new ways to reduce lead exposure until we meet president bidens goal of replacing 100 of lead. Epa is committed to taking actions that are backed by quality and peerreviewed science. From our action to address and cleanup pfas to providing information that helps people during wildfires, to decisions that protect our drinking and recreational water, science is the backbone of the epa. While i am proud of the foundation, there is much more work to do to ensure that all of our children have safe, Healthy Places to live and play. Thank you for being here and thank you for submitting testimony to the record. I look forward to achieve these ambitious yet necessary goals. I thank the administrator for his testimony. The chair recognizes himself for five minutes. Chemistry companies in ohio generate roughly 3. 5 billion in earnings and 1. 5 billion in taxes and exports from the production plan, exceeds 6. 5 billion. That is why i am concerned by the update for the new chemicals regulation under the Toxic Substance Control Act, particularly as it relates to the manufacturing of semiconductors. The Semiconductor Industry association went as far as seeing this proposed action would have a devastating effect on u. S. Competitiveness and would result in the Semiconductor Industry being unable to manufacture devices in the u. S. Has epa measured the economic consequences of these actions and has the epa sought input from the department of commerce which is investing 50 billion in u. S. Semiconductors that your agency might complete the shutdown . I would like to say that during my time as state regulator, i spent time with families and mothers and children that have been poisoned by pfas. I have seen it firsthand. I brought that experience to epa. We are developing very responsible regulations. I have met with the leadership of the National Association of manufacturers. I have met with the american chemistry council. There is a way that we can do this where we protect the environment and people. They are not mutually exclusive. I have been in these conversations as late as last week with Industry Leaders and i think there is a path forward. We dont have to compromise global competitors while we protect our families. Have you been working with the department of commerce at all or sought any input from them in general . We have. The president pledged that approaching pfas would be a government approach. I sat down and had conversations with the secretary of defense. The epa is not doing any of this work because we understand the impact that it has on our society. In march, i wrote you along with several of our colleagues, requesting information that the epa has taken and cleanup efforts for the East PalestineTrain Derailment in my home state of ohio. A week or so ago, inner agencies obtained showed that several chemical and Environmental Monitoring experts were not part of the Disaster Response until a full month after the derailment. Even more alarming, two of the own scientists discusse