Senate Confirms OSHA, Federal Railroad, EPA Superfund Heads En Bloc

The U.S. Senate confirmed new leaders on the Dept. of Labor’s Occupational Security and Well being Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and the U.S. Environmental Safety Company’s Superfund program, amongst 108 nominees who have been approved en bloc Oct. 7. 

The vote confirmed David Keeling as assistant secretary of Labor for Occupational Security and Well being. Keeling has labored in security at UPS and Amazon. 

Throughout a nomination listening to in June, Keeling laid out his priorities for OSHA. They embrace accelerating the adoption of expertise and new requirements to stop accidents by means of knowledgeable design, increasing collaborations with corporations, unions and trade teams, and updating enforcement processes utilizing predictive analytics. 

“We all know David is a robust proponent of defending employees, and his in depth information and abilities as a security skilled will definitely assist the company,” mentioned Linda Tapp, president of the American Society of Security Professionals, in an announcement. “We stay up for working with him and his employees on many substantial points.”

John Busterud is the brand new assistant administrator of EPA’s Workplace of Strong Waste, a task that places him in control of the Superfund program. Busterud is an environmental legal professional with earlier expertise at EPA, the place he was administrator of Area 9, which covers California, Hawaii, Nevada, 148 tribes and Pacific Ocean U.S. territories, through the first Trump administration. He spent greater than 30 years working for Pacific Fuel and Electrical Co. (PG&E) in San Francisco, together with as senior director and managing counsel for atmosphere and actual property. Throughout his time at PG&E, Busterud additionally served as an trade consultant on EPA’s Clear Air Act Advisory Committee. 

“Mr. Busterud will oversee applications that immediately affect Individuals’ well being and the atmosphere, akin to remediating PFAS contamination, cleansing up Superfund websites, and revitalizing brownfields,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chair of the Senate atmosphere and public works committee, throughout a Could listening to. 

David Fink is administrator of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration. He obtained his begin within the railroad sector as a youngster working for Conrail, and labored his manner as much as develop into president of Pan Am Railways, a regional railroad in New England that was later bought by CSX. 

Throughout a Senate committee listening to in Could, Fink mentioned FRA must first deal with security. He additionally desires to “refresh authorities rules, innovating the place doable and eradicating burdensome and outdated roadblocks.” 

Paul Skoutelas, CEO of the American Public Transportation Affiliation, mentioned in an announcement that Fink has a “confirmed file [of] advancing innovation and operational excellence.”

The 51-47 vote was the Senate’s second spherical of en bloc confirmations, taken after some Senate Republicans expressed frustration on the period of time it was taking to substantiate many nominees. The method permits lawmakers to substantiate any variety of nominees without delay. The first en bloc round, authorized final month, confirmed heads of the Federal Freeway Administration and different businesses.