An endangered green sea turtle in a holding tank. Photo: Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service nominee Brian Nesvik pledged Wednesday to take a "deep dive" into speeding up Endangered Species Act reviews.
Why it matters: The service often misses deadlines when it consults with other agencies on protecting listed species — a major step in the permitting process.
- The missed deadlines lead to "costly delays," Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito said in questioning Nesvik.
The big picture: "I've heard about this from a lot of folks," Nesvik told the committee. "I know it's an issue I'm very interested in digging into and trying to figure out where we can find some efficiencies."
- House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman has also proposed legislation to amend the ESA, including "eliminating agency bias towards the species during the permitting process."
Driving the news: Nesvik appeared alongside two other nominees: Sean Donahue to be EPA general counsel and Jessica Kramer to head up the agency's water office.
Zoom in: Kramer served on Capito's EPW staff in 2021 and helped craft the bipartisan infrastructure law that set aside $50 billion to fix aging water pipes and treatment plants.
- Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester questioned Kramer on the EPA funding pause and urged her to "live up to the work that you helped to create."
- Kramer responded that she wasn't in the administration at the time, and that since she joined the agency, the funds have been mostly flowing.
- One state hadn't been getting money for lead replacement service lines, she said, and "that was a surprise for me to learn about."
- "The Office of Water promptly acted on that," she said. "If I'm in this role, anything like that that were to come across my desk would receive prompt attention and action."
What's next: All nominees appear ready to cruise through the confirmation process.
