Central ND News

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee convened to evaluate the nominations of David Fotouhi and Aaron Szabo for key positions within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Fotouhi is nominated for Deputy Administrator, while Szabo is considered for Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation.

Fotouhi has experience as Acting General Counsel at the EPA during the Trump administration. Szabo's background includes roles with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Council on Environmental Quality.

Senator Kevin Cramer raised questions about U.S. leadership in emissions compared to global figures. He noted that despite economic growth, U.S. emissions have decreased, especially in the energy sector over two decades. Szabo highlighted this progress since 1970 with reductions in various pollutants following the Clean Air Act.

Cramer also questioned why companies would choose to invest in a potentially noncompetitive regulatory environment in the U.S., emphasizing differences with countries like China. He remarked, "This isn’t going to be shocking anyone, but we have significantly decreased, both our greenhouse gas and traditional air pollution emissions tremendously, especially over the past 20 years."

Cramer pointed out that China's emissions have increased significantly, impacting regions like California due to trans-Pacific pollution transport. He added that even if U.S. greenhouse gas emissions ceased entirely, it would not counteract increases from other nations like China.

He concluded by stating, "American greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by something like a million tons per year while China’s have increased by something like six to seven million tons per year," stressing that solutions need both domestic and global efforts.