[Senate Hearing 117-224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





                                                        S. Hrg. 117-224
 
    HEARING ON THE NOMINATIONS OF CHRISTOPHER FREY TO BE ASSISTANT 
    ADMINISTRATOR FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL 
 PROTECTION AGENCY AND JENNIFER CLYBURN REED TO BE FEDERAL CO-CHAIR OF 
               THE SOUTHEAST CRESCENT REGIONAL COMMISSION

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               before the

                              COMMITTEE ON
                      ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                            OCTOBER 27, 2021

                               __________

  Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works
  
  
  
  
  
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]   

  
  


        Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
        
        
        
        
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              U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 
 47-182 PDF          WASHINGTON : 2022         
 
 
        
        
        
               COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                  THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware, Chairman
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West 
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont                 Virginia, 
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island         Ranking Member
JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon                 JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts      KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois            CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            RICHARD SHELBY, Alabama
MARK KELLY, Arizona                  JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
ALEX PADILLA, California             ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
                                     DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
                                     JONI ERNST, Iowa
                                     LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina

             Mary Frances Repko, Democratic Staff Director
               Adam Tomlinson, Republican Staff Director
               
                            C O N T E N T S

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                                                                   Page

                            OCTOBER 27, 2021
                           OPENING STATEMENTS

Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware..     1
Capito, Hon. Shelley Moore, U.S. Senator from the State of West 
  Virginia.......................................................     3

                               WITNESSES

Reed, Jennifer Clyburn, nominee to be Federal Co-Chair, Southeast 
  Crescent Regional Commission...................................     5
    Prepared statement...........................................     8
Frey, Christopher, nominee to be Assistant Administrator for 
  Research and Development, Environmental Protection Agency......    10
    Prepared statement...........................................    12
    Responses to additional questions from:
        Senator Kelly............................................    15
        Senator Capito...........................................    18

                          ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Letter to Senators Carper and Capito from Dr. Bernard Goldstein 
  et al., October 20, 2021.......................................    40


    HEARING ON THE NOMINATIONS OF CHRISTOPHER FREY TO BE ASSISTANT 
    ADMINISTRATOR FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL 
 PROTECTION AGENCY AND JENNIFER CLYBURN REED TO BE FEDERAL CO-CHAIR OF 
               THE SOUTHEAST CRESCENT REGIONAL COMMISSION

                              ----------                              


                      WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

                                       U.S. Senate,
                 Committee on Environment and Public Works,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee, met, pursuant to notice, at 10:06 a.m. in 
room 406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Thomas R. Carper 
(Chairman of the Committee) presiding.
    Present: Senators Carper, Capito, Kelly, Inhofe, Ernst, and 
Graham.

          OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER, 
            U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE

    Senator Carper. Welcome, everyone. I call this hearing to 
order.
    Today, we are privileged to hear from two nominees: 
Jennifer Clyburn Reed, whom President Biden has nominated to be 
the Federal Co-Chair of the Southeast Crescent Regional 
Commission, and Christopher Frey, whom the President has 
nominated to serve as the Assistant Administrator of the Office 
of Research and Development at the Environmental Protection 
Agency.
    We warmly welcome both of you today.
    Before we hear from our witnesses, Senator Capito and I 
would like to say a few words about each of them.
    Dr. Jennifer Clyburn Reed has built an exemplary career as 
an educator and advocate for strengthening the economic, 
social, and physical health of communities in her home State of 
South Carolina. She is also a graduate of the University of 
South Carolina. I just wrote this in, and I hope this is 
correct, a proud Gamecock, a graduate of the University of 
South Carolina.
    Dr. Reed has spent nearly 30 years as an educator and an 
education leader. Most recently, she was the Director of the 
Center for Education and Equity at the University of South 
Carolina, her alma mater, and Co-Director of the Apple Core 
Initiative, a scholarship program at the USC College of 
Education.
    She is also CEO of the Palmetto Issues Conference, an 
issues based advisory group that promotes accessible and 
equitable policies in education, in health, in housing, and 
infrastructure.
    I had the privilege of meeting with Dr. Reed virtually 
yesterday and found her to be an engaging leader who is deeply 
committed to helping communities across the Southeast Crescent 
region.
    If confirmed, Dr. Reed will be the Southeast Crescent 
Regional Commission's first Federal Co-Chair since it was 
created in 2019. Just let me repeat that: If confirmed, Dr. 
Reed will be the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission's first 
Federal Co-Chair since it was created in 2019.
    Having her in this role will allow this agency to fully 
commit its resources toward addressing economically distressed 
areas across parts of Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, 
Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.
    I am delighted that Dr. Reed could join us here today. We 
look forward to hearing her vision for this role.
    I am sure she will introduce a couple of relatives and 
maybe some friends that are in the audience, but Senator Capito 
and I have had the privilege of serving with your dad, and it 
is a special privilege to welcome him here today.
    I would like to say we could see his lips move when you 
speak but with the mask on, we won't see his lips move at all, 
but we know he is here to provide encouragement and support.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Carper. President Biden nominated our second 
witness today, Henry Christopher Frey, who I believe goes by 
the name of Chris, to serve as EPA Assistant Administrator for 
the Office of Research and Development. Dr. Frey has built a 
remarkable, accomplished career as a pioneer in the fields of 
modeling human exposure to air pollution, as well as the 
measurement and modeling of vehicle emissions and applying 
those emissions estimates to risk assessments.
    At a time when the EPA is recommitting itself to science 
driven decisionmaking, Dr. Frey's experience makes him an 
excellent choice to lead research and development at the 
agency. Dr. Frey has been a professor for 27 years at North 
Carolina State University, where he has dedicated himself to 
research and cultivating the next generation of scientific 
leaders.
    He also has extensive experience working with the 
Environmental Protection Agency. In 1992, Dr. Frey was a AAAS; 
I had never heard of a AAAS; I have heard a lot of AAAs, but a 
AAAS, Environmental Science and Engineering Fellow at EPA. He 
has served as exposure modeling advisor in the EPA's Office of 
Research and Development's National Exposure Research 
Laboratory from I believe 2006 to 2007.
    He also served in several other capacities at EPA through 
the years, including as a member of the EPA's Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, affectionately 
known as FIFRA; Science Advisory Panel from 2004 to 2006; as a 
member of the EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee 
from 2008 to 2012; as Chair of that committee from 2012 to 
2015; and as a member of the EPA Science Advisory Board from 
2012 to 2018.
    Let me also add that Dr. Frey has received public support 
from seven of his predecessors for this role, including both 
Republicans and Democrats, going back to the Reagan 
administration. There may be no better endorsement for a job 
than from someone who has held it before, much less seven 
former leaders who served in this role from both sides of the 
aisle.
    I also had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Frey earlier 
this week, and he is quite impressive in person, as well. 
Should he be confirmed, he will be an undeniable champion of 
science based decisionmaking and scientific integrity at the 
EPA's Office of Research and Development.
    We are looking forward to hearing more from him today.
    But before we do, we are going to hear from our Ranking 
Member, Senator Capito, for her opening statement.
    Senator Capito.

        OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, 
          U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

    Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I want to thank our two witnesses today for being willing 
to serve. I think it is an admirable trait, public service, and 
we certainly appreciate those efforts. We look forward to 
hearing from both of you.
    Thank you, Chairman Carper, for having the hearing.
    As Chairman Carper mentioned, Dr. Jennifer Clyburn Reed 
will be the first to lead the Southeast Crescent Regional 
Commission, which is going to be an interesting exercise for me 
to watch since we have the Appalachian Regional Commission in 
our States, and we have seen how that has developed over the 
years.
    Then of course, the Environmental Protection Agency Office 
of Research and Development, Dr. Chris Frey.
    Each of you has devoted the majority of your careers to 
education. For that, you deserve great recognition, and I thank 
you.
    Dr. Clyburn Reed, it is nice to see your father in the 
audience today. I had the pleasure of playing golf with him one 
time. He is quite the golfer.
    I commend you for your service in education at all levels 
because you have obviously taught at every level in a lot of 
different types of situations, and for what you have done for 
your State of South Carolina. I look forward to hearing about 
you and what your plans are for the Commission.
    Dr. Frey, I know you have been a college professor for 27 
years, including time at the University of Pittsburgh and North 
Carolina State University, and you are now nominated for this 
position. As we discussed during our meeting last week, when we 
spoke, and I thank you for that, this is one of science, a 
scientist, not a policymaker or a politician. The research 
conducted in this office is used to inform critical policy 
decisions made by the agency's regulatory offices.
    Establishing public trust requires that the scientific 
studies are developed in an open and transparent fashion, you 
and I talked about this, not hidden from robust public 
scrutiny. Transparency, I take the opportunity every time I get 
the chance to talk at this dais to talk about the frustrations 
that I have with this Administration on transparency. Because 
it is not only critical in the scientific process, but also in 
policy proposals and the accountability that accompanies these 
decisions that this Administration is making.
    I am very disturbed about this Administration's lack of 
transparency, particularly on climate and environmental issues. 
I have asked repeatedly the EPA and the White House several 
times now how the new U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution, 
or NDC, under the Paris Agreement was calculated. I am still 
waiting to hear how that calculation was made, the pledge being 
to reduce emissions 50 to 52 percent by 2030, and how is that 
possible, and what regulations would be put in place to make 
that possible.
    Administrator Regan committed to me back in April to 
provide EPA information used to develop the NDC. He has not 
fulfilled that promise. I am actually going to have breakfast 
with him next week. I will have to make sure not only here in a 
public forum but privately to reiterate this.
    At the end of October, and after repeated attempts to get 
information, I still do not have a substantive response. I get 
the sense that slow rolling this information hoping that this 
tax and spending spree that we see being squabbled over over on 
the House side, would have been enacted by now, and 
overshadowing some of the regulations the Administration has 
planned. That hasn't happened yet.
    Now the Administration is trying to have something to 
present to the climate conference in Glasgow to show the world 
it will meet its overly ambitious targets. They appear focused 
on that audience, rather than the American public, workers, 
their families, and the folks that are elected to represent 
them in Congress as everybody watches their energy bills begin 
to skyrocket.
    Proving this point in remarks earlier this year, John 
Kerry, the White House international climate czar, called for 
the U.S. intelligence community to verify the authenticity of 
Paris pledges by China, Russia, and other countries, stating 
that, ``I think the President would want to know if something 
is just baloney, or if a country is misleading.'' This 
Administration has eyes wide open for the pledges of other 
countries, but they have then closed the door on the 
accountability to Congress or the American people on what the 
costs and what the sacrifices and the benefits would be.
    At the same time, the Administration, through an 
interagency working group, is pursuing options to develop and 
apply a new cost for emitting greenhouse gases. President Biden 
wants to use this figure, known as the social cost of carbon, 
in all areas of Federal decisionmaking. Following several 
requests from me and other Members of Congress, the leaders of 
the interagency working group admitted they will not hold a 
single public meeting on this issue. Despite the potentially 
wide ranging effects of their proposals, Administration leaders 
are yet again hiding the ball from the American people.
    Administration officials make vague, ominous remarks about 
using untested regulatory pathways to cut emissions. Yet the 
President, President Biden still has not put forth a nominee to 
lead one of the EPA's most significant offices, the Office of 
Air and Radiation; that is the very office that is reportedly 
developing the costly and far reaching environmental 
regulations that the President will tout in Glasgow next week.
    In the midst of a major supply chain and transportation 
crisis, the President has also not put forward a nominee to 
lead the Federal Highway Administration. The agency responsible 
to oversee the safe use of our Nation's nuclear energy power 
plants, the NRC, is currently working with just three 
commissioners and two vacancies.
    Instead of ensuring transparency and accountability to the 
American people, the President has chosen to rely on his 
climate czars who are sitting in the White House and not 
accountable to us. Both of us are ready to advise and consent 
on nominees the President brings. It is time for him to stop 
delaying and to nominate individuals for the positions I 
mentioned and stop shielding the Administration's decisions.
    This morning, we just have two nominees testifying, and 
they are great nominees, but it should be more.
    I want to thank you again, Chairman Carper, for holding 
today's hearing.
    I want to thank our two nominees again for being with us 
today.
    Thank you.
    Senator Carper. Thanks very much, Senator Capito.
    I had breakfast with Administrator Regan maybe a month or 2 
ago. I think you will find that constructive and helpful.
    Senator Capito and I try to meet most Thursdays either in 
person or by phone if we are on the road. Some of the vacancies 
that you mentioned that we are looking for nominees, let's just 
talk about those and see what we can do to shake a few loose 
from the trees.
    With that, thank you for your comments, Senator Capito.
    Now we look forward to hearing from our nominees. We are 
going to start with Dr. Jennifer Clyburn Reed.
    Dr. Reed, you are recognized for your statement. Please 
proceed.

 STATEMENT OF JENNIFER CLYBURN REED, NOMINEE TO BE FEDERAL CO-
         CHAIR, SOUTHEAST CRESCENT REGIONAL COMMISSION

    Ms. Reed. Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, and 
members of this Committee, good morning, and thank you for 
granting me this opportunity to appear before you as you 
consider President Joe Biden's nomination of me for Federal Co-
Chair of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission.
    I also want to thank your staffs for the time spent with me 
over the past several days. The discussions have been engaging 
and informative.
    I am grateful to President Biden for the faith and 
confidence placed in me by this nomination. If afforded the 
opportunity to serve, I pledge to prove your confidence well 
spent and do my family and friends proud.
    Here with me today are my husband of 29 years, Mississippi 
native and Florida A&M graduate, Walter Reed.
    Senator Carper. Did you say Walter Reed?
    Ms. Reed. Walter Reed, yes.
    Senator Carper. As in the hospital?
    Ms. Reed. Yes.
    [Laughter.]
    Ms. Reed. My father, Hon. Jim Clyburn, with whom you are 
probably somewhat aware. Joining me remotely, my son, Walter AC 
Reed, a graduate of Coastal Carolina University; my daughter, 
Sydney Reed, a Mississippi State graduate and third year 
medical student at the Medical University of South Carolina; my 
sisters, Mignon and Angela Clyburn; my father and sister-in-
law, Jackson State alumni, Dr. Walter Reed and Dr. Kathy 
Taylor. And to the kinship and friendship circles supporting me 
from home, thank you.
    I began my professional career 29 years ago as a public 
school educator with a Master's Degree. Over the next 25 years, 
I served as a classroom teacher, a middle school basketball 
coach, and a State Department of Education specialist. Along 
the way, I earned two additional academic credentials, an 
Education Specialist and a Doctorate from Nova Southeastern 
University in Florida.
    I concluded my educational career as Director of a teaching 
equity center at the University of South Carolina, where I also 
co-founded the Apple Core Initiative, a teaching, recruitment, 
and retention scholarship program. I have continued my 
commitment to education as a committee member of the Emily E. 
Clyburn Honors College endowment at my State's only publicly 
supported HBCU, South Carolina State University.
    Throughout these professional roles, I have remained true 
to my father's counsel that one should find something to do for 
which you are not paid. My community service began as a Girl 
Scout, then tutor at a public housing tutorial center with my 
sorority sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. I served 
as board chair of the Greater Columbia Community Relations 
Council and currently serve as president of a non-profit which 
promotes first time homeownership and the preservation and 
restoration of distressed and abandoned properties.
    I believe that this background would be beneficial to me as 
I seek to continue my public service in a broader capacity in a 
wider community through the Southeast Crescent Regional 
Commission.
    The Commission, which was authorized in 2008, focuses on 
distressed economic conditions in portions of six States: 
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, 
Virginia, and all of the State of Florida. Six States share two 
active regional commissions, the Delta Regional Authority and 
the Appalachian Regional Commission.
    If confirmed, my initial goal will be to assess the needs 
and assets of each community within the Commission's 342 
counties and identify challenges and determine the tools needed 
to progress them from distressed into transitional and 
attainment status. The Commission would then work closely with 
economic development districts, in partnership with State and 
local leaders, to formulate regional action plans using current 
and trending statistics with the input of community voices.
    Believe me, I learned early in my career that one size does 
not fit all. The Commission would seek to fund entities that 
make economic development a sustainable priority, while 
stimulating local entrepreneur development and nurturing 
private investment.
    The formula used to target distressed counties through 
Congressman Clyburn's 10-20-30 plan states that 10 percent of 
certain appropriated funds be targeted to persistent poverty 
communities identified by the Census Bureau where 20 percent or 
more of the population has lived at or below the poverty level 
for 30 or more years. According to a report from the 
Congressional Research Service defining persistent poverty 
counties, there 407 in the United States. Ninety-two, or 22.6 
percent of them, fall within the jurisdiction of the Southeast 
Crescent Regional Commission.
    Working in tandem with State and local municipalities to 
create opportunities to fill gaps in education attainment, work 
force preparedness, job creation, and physical and human 
infrastructure are challenges that beg for cooperation at all 
levels. And if confirmed, the Commission will not waste 
valuable time re-creating the wheel. Instead, it will consult 
with other Federal Co-Chairs to emulate best practices.
    I will carry out the objectives of the Commission to 
strengthen areas with the greatest needs, and I look forward to 
working with this Committee to ensure that the Southeast 
Crescent Regional Commission works for all of its citizens.
    Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, and members of the 
Committee, thank you again for this opportunity to appear 
before you today. And I look forward to any questions you have.
    [The prepared statement of Ms. Reed follows:]
    
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    Senator Carper. Thank you, Dr. Reed.
    Senator Capito, my first thought is the apple did not fall 
far from the tree.
    Dr. Frey; we were joking yesterday about how he pronounces 
his name. A lot of people, F-R-E-Y, they pronounce it Fry. But 
he pronounces it Fray. He is a big music fan. He loves a band 
called The Fray, from Colorado, How To Save a Life.
    You are on, Dr. Frey. Welcome.

    STATEMENT OF CHRISTOPHER FREY, NOMINEE TO BE ASSISTANT 
   ADMINISTRATOR FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL 
                       PROTECTION AGENCY

    Mr. Frey. Thank you, Senator Carper, and good morning, 
Ranking Member Capito, and members of the Committee.
    I am honored that President Biden has nominated me to serve 
as Assistant Administrator in the Office of Research and 
Development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
    I also want to thank my wife, Deanna, and my daughter, 
Loren, who are with me today, for their support.
    Senator Carper. Which one is your wife?
    Mr. Frey. The really good looking woman sitting behind me.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Carper. Would you raise your hand, ma'am? Nice to 
see you. Welcome. Thanks for sharing him with all of us.
    Mr. Frey. Thank you, sir.
    In fact, she is sharing me with all of you, and I am 
honored that she is.
    I also want to thank my extended family in New York, West 
Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, who are 
watching today.
    Science and the environment have long been my passions and 
my purpose. I grew up in lower Manhattan in the 1960s and 
1970s. My family lived in a rent controlled, walk up building 
built in the 1880s. There was lead paint on the walls, choking 
smog outside, and greasy flakes of soot wafted from the sky, 
smearing my bedroom windowsill.
    This affected me so much that when I was 8 years old, I 
wrote an essay titled Pollution. I posited that pollution is 
bad for people and animals, too. Although I didn't realize it 
at the time, I identified multiple environmental media, fate, 
and transport pathways, and adverse effect outcomes.
    My father typed and copied my essay and gave it to all of 
our neighbors. This was my first publication. I trace my 
career, and my passion and purpose to that essay and to my 
first hand experience with environmental pollution while 
growing up.
    My parents instilled in me a passion for the environment as 
well as a sense of duty to serve the public. My father served 
honorably in the United States Marine Corps. After his military 
service, he became an oceanographer and a professor. He spent 
the last 22 years of his career with the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration. And he now rests at Arlington 
National Cemetery.
    My mother's passion was art. She was a painter and a 
writer. Her last book was a novel about dolphins, for which she 
conducted extensive research. Although not rich in a material 
sense, she had enormous wealth of spirit. She taught me to 
listen to many different voices, understand how things work, 
and work with others to find solutions.
    With my parents teaching me the value of listening, 
observing, and public service, it is no surprise that I found 
my way to environmental science and engineering.
    I have been privileged to have spent most of my career in 
academia, including 27 years at North Carolina State 
University. While there, I researched how to improve the 
efficiency and reduce the cost and emissions of coal fired 
power plants. I helped governments and industry develop cost 
effective solutions for emissions prevention. I researched 
improved quantitative methods for uncertainty in exposure and 
risk assessment. My research has also focused on measurement 
and modeling of vehicle emissions and human exposure to air 
pollution.
    My research has helped inform a variety of decisions from 
improving traffic signal timing to reduce vehicle emissions as 
well as the selection of ambient air quality standards taking 
into account uncertainty in risk assessment.
    As an experienced researcher and professor, I am a champion 
of science and its essential role in keeping American families 
healthy and safe. I am proud of the quality, scope, and impact 
my work has had, as demonstrated by my extensive peer reviewed 
publication record and numerous awards, including the 
Excellence in Air Pollution Control Award from the Air and 
Waste Management Association.
    I have been invited to share my expertise on numerous 
national and international expert advisory panels. As Senator 
Carper noted, I have worked multiple times with the Office of 
Research and Development, and I have served on the Science 
Advisory Board and chaired the Clean Air Scientific Advisory 
Committee.
    I believe that I have the scientific credentials, 
expertise, experience, vision, and commitment to serve as ORD's 
Assistant Administrator and to lead ORD's world class research 
staff.
    Senators, applying science to solve complex challenges that 
affect the lives of the American people has been my highest 
priority throughout my career. It would be a tremendous 
privilege to continue this dedication at EPA.
    And I recognize, as Senator Capito alluded to, that science 
is just one of the many factors that inform policy decisions. 
If confirmed, my leadership will start with listening. The 
complex environmental challenges our Nation faces require an 
all hands on deck approach, drawing on the experience, 
expertise, and perspectives of numerous stakeholders, including 
all of you, Senators.
    Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Frey follows:]
    
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    Senator Carper. Dr. Frey, thanks very much for your 
testimony.
    Thank you both for your testimony and your presence.
    We are now ready to begin with the questions for our two 
witnesses. Senator Capito and I have agreed to two 5 minute 
rounds of questions with additional rounds at the discretion of 
the Chair and the Ranking Member.
    To begin, this Committee has three standing yes or no 
questions that it asks all of our nominees who appear before 
us. So I am going to ask each of you these questions.
    First, do you agree, if confirmed, to appear before this 
Committee or designated members of this Committee and other 
appropriate committees of the Congress, and provide information 
subject to appropriate and necessary security protections with 
respect to your responsibilities?
    Do you, Dr. Reed?
    Ms. Reed. Yes, sir, I do.
    Senator Carper. Dr. Frey?
    Mr. Frey. Yes, sir, I do.
    Senator Carper. Second question, do you agree to ensure 
that testimony, briefings, and documents and other electronic 
forms of communication or information are provided to this 
Committee and its staff and other appropriate committees in a 
timely manner?
    Dr. Reed, do you?
    Ms. Reed. Yes, I do.
    Senator Carper. Dr. Frey?
    Mr. Frey. Yes, sir, I do.
    Senator Carper. One more. Do you know of any matters which 
you may or may not have disclosed that might place you in a 
conflict of interest if you are confirmed?
    Dr. Reed, do you?
    Ms. Reed. No, sir, I don't.
    Senator Carper. Dr. Frey?
    Mr. Frey. No, sir.
    Senator Carper. Dr. Reed, you spent many years as an 
educator, and one who I am sure has taught and inspired other 
educators. I love to go into schools. I know my colleagues 
Senator Capito and Senator Inhofe do as well. I really enjoy 
school assemblies, even with little kids.
    I always remember being in an elementary schools, it was 
kindergarten to grade 5. They had an assembly with a couple 
hundred kids. Front row was third grade, and I spoke for a 
little bit, and then we had a Q and A.
    This little girl in the third grade raised her hand. I 
said, ``Yes, ma'am, what would your question be?'' She said, 
``What do you do?'' I said, ``I'm a United States Senator. We 
have 50 States, and every State has two Senators. You have 
rules for your school, don't you?'' She said, ``Yes.'' I said, 
``You have rules on your bus?'' She said, ``Yes.'' I said, 
``You have rules at home?'' She said, ``Yes.'' I said, ``We 
have rules for our country. Along with another Senator, Senator 
Chris Coons and our Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, I get 
to help make the rules for the country.''
    A little boy sitting next to her raised his hand, I said, 
``Yes, sir, what would your question be?'' He said, ``What else 
do you do?''
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Carper. I told him that I try to help people, try 
to help people. And one of the ways we try to help people is to 
make sure they have clean air to breathe, and water to drink, 
and on and on.
    If those third graders had been asking you what you would 
be responsible for doing, if you are confirmed for this 
position, how would you explain it to them that they and their 
parents and others could have a real appreciation for a 
position that has basically gone unfilled for I think decades?
    Senator Capito talked about this Administration has not 
filled every seat that could be filled by a nominee. This is a 
job that has gone decades with nobody, Democrat or Republican, 
has ever nominated anyone for it. That is about to change--that 
has changed.
    Go ahead, please. What do you do? What would you do?
    Ms. Reed. Thank you very much for that question, Senator.
    I envision having several conversations with many of my 
former students and their children at this point to let them 
know that my vision has not changed from when I taught them in 
school. That is to help them become better citizens, to help 
their neighborhoods become more conducive to living and 
learning and growing and prospering.
    The Commissions, they all have a purpose. And that is to 
create strong infrastructure, to create job development 
environments that are safe, and promote private investments and 
entrepreneurship and to really get that infrastructure, 
particularly in looking at broadband in the last mile.
    The Commission will work with local leaders at the 
grassroots level and help them at their level. I have told 
people time and time again, the closer your government is to 
you, the more they influence your lives.
    So that is the level of influence in which we would help, 
the Commission would help that level so that lives can be 
impacted immediately.
    Senator Carper. I am going to ask you to give us some 
preliminary answers to a question I am going to ask right now. 
The question is this, and you can answer for the record.
    Are there ways that other agencies, or even Congress, even 
this Committee, might be of help to you as you stand up this 
Commission and lead it? How can we be helpful?
    Ms. Reed. Thank you for the question.
    Other agencies that will be helpful, particularly your 
Committee and Congress, first of all, would be the 
appropriation of funds to help the Commission get off the 
ground. As we noted earlier, this Commission only exists on 
paper, so we would need to create small committees to stand up 
the committee in the southeast region.
    Priority will be looking at where to have a presence, where 
would that presence be as a physical structure, and then move 
outward in a broad sense to meet those people who are at the 
table and at the grassroots level.
    Senator Carper. That is a good start.
    Let me note, as it turns out there are seven of these 
regional commissions. This is one we are trying to stand up 
now.
    Ms. Reed. Yes.
    Senator Carper. One of them is the Appalachian Regional 
Commission, which is a big part of West Virginia. The Chair is 
somebody you know, Gayle Manchin. Dr. Reed told me she was on 
the phone talking to Gayle Manchin the other day.
    I like to say, find out what works; do more of that. One of 
the best ways you can do that is reaching out like you did with 
Gayle Manchin and the other regional commissions to find out 
what works and what doesn't. I am sure they will be happy to 
help you.
    Ms. Reed. Yes, absolutely.
    Senator Carper. Senator Capito.
    Senator Capito. Thank you.
    Senator Inhofe, do you want to go before me?
    Senator Inhofe. I appreciate that very much. Thank you for 
the opportunity to move ahead of you. I have to get over to 
another committee.
    Let me say first of all say, Ms. Reed, unfortunately I only 
served with your father for a year and a half, but that was a 
very rewarding year and a half. I consider him to have remained 
a good friend in that time.
    Dr. Frey, the EPA's Robert S. Kerr Research Center, I know 
you are familiar with that, in Ada, Oklahoma. It has been there 
for a long period of time. It is leading the Nation on a type 
of water research known as enhanced aquifer recharge, or EAR 
for short. They have done a very good job for a long period of 
time.
    As you know, it utilizes natural methods for the capture 
and replenishment of our Nation's aquifers. For years, Congress 
has allocated the funding, necessary funding to keep that 
going.
    It was my understanding, and I got this second hand, so I 
honestly don't know, Dr. Frey, the source. But apparently there 
has been a hold up in coordinating the local entities as we 
normally are expecting. Would you make advancing research in 
this enhanced aquifer recharge a priority if you are confirmed?
    Mr. Frey. Yes, thank you, Senator Inhofe. This is obviously 
an important issue for your State of Oklahoma because the 
aquifer, the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer, in particular, is a 
major resource for farmers, ranchers, and anyone who drinks 
water.
    Yes, the program you allude to on enhanced aquifer 
recharge, ORD staff have been working with the U.S. Geological 
Survey on engineered methods to use stormwater to help recharge 
the aquifer. As you point out, that is being done at ORD's Ada, 
Oklahoma, lab.
    Yes, this is an important priority for us. It is something 
that I anticipate and would expect under my leadership that we 
would continue to work with you on this issue because I know it 
is important to you and for Oklahoma. It is also important that 
the same issues are faced in other parts of the country as 
well.
    Senator Inhofe. I appreciate that very much, and that you 
are familiar with that program.
    I understand that you are on a leave of absence from, it is 
an unpaid academic position you have had with the Hong Kong 
University of Science and Technology. One Federal watchdog 
group called this Chinese university ``anything short of an arm 
of the Chinese government.''
    I am pleased that you have committed to resigning this 
position with this university should you be confirmed. First, I 
want to ask you if that would be your intention.
    Mr. Frey. Absolutely, sir, yes.
    Senator Inhofe. Do you share the concerns that we have that 
with China's poor record? They are the largest polluter out 
there, on record, it particularly remains the world's largest 
polluter, as they still are, today.
    What are your thoughts about that? Should that be a factor 
in your confirmation process?
    Mr. Frey. Thank you, Senator Inhofe.
    Senator Inhofe. I want to give you a chance to address that 
because others have talked about it.
    Mr. Frey. Yes, and I really appreciate this opportunity.
    My involvement with research colleagues in Hong Kong is 
because as an educator for 27 years, my goal has been to mentor 
students and to develop new knowledge. It is a very common 
practice in academia to seek out international collaborations, 
especially in areas of science where we can deal with 
challenging scientific issues that help us push the boundaries 
of our own science.
    My relationship with colleagues at the HKUST, the 
university you mentioned, has been one of research and 
mentorship of students and collaboration specifically on issues 
of human exposure to air pollution.
    I think we all know that region of the world is facing very 
severe air pollution. There is actually a lot of interesting 
science issues there we can learn from to inform best science 
here in the United States. My work has really been in the realm 
of the science, not in the realm of the policy or the 
geopolitical issues that you mentioned.
    I will say that when I came onboard in my current role with 
the EPA 9 months ago, I fully disclosed all of my affiliations, 
including this unpaid adjunct affiliation. I have been 
following the advice of our Office of General Counsel at EPA 
and ethics officials. On that advice, if confirmed, I would 
resign this unpaid adjunct position.
    Senator Inhofe. It has always been a concern to me that 
many of the extreme groups that are out there hold a great 
regard for China and their record, and yet they continue to be 
the greatest polluter around. I have often wondered how they 
get by with that.
    Thank you very much, Dr. Frey.
    Mr. Frey. You are welcome, Senator.
    Senator Inhofe. And thank you, Senator Capito, for giving 
me some time up front.
    Senator Carper. Senator Capito, you are next.
    Senator Graham, welcome. Once Senator Capito has asked her 
questions, you will be recognized. You will be next in line. 
Thank you. Thanks for joining us.
    Senator Capito [presiding]. Dr. Frey, when we talked on the 
phone last week, I kind of hit you, I think, with a surprise. I 
am going to talk about the 2019 research paper of which you 
were one of many of the authors, that laid out an ideal 
situation on college football tailgating which would be a ban 
on idling, charcoal grills, and old generators. Well, we 
decided this was not realistic.
    You did tell me that you grill out at least three times a 
week, and you are fuel agnostic. Thank you for clarifying that 
world changing research paper. Because, I can imagine those 
South Carolina Gamecocks would not be for that either.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Graham. That is the only reason we go.
    Mr. Frey. Nor the Wolf Pack to be honest.
    Senator Capito. Nor the Wolf Pack. Yes.
    Let's talk a little bit, you wrote a letter to the editor 
of the Raleigh News and Observer taking on the Clean Power Plan 
claims. In the letter, you disputed assertions that the Clean 
Power Plan was ``an act of overreach.''
    You are going to be dealing this and I would imagine are 
going to be asked to do research in this area. As we know, the 
Clean Power Plan has fallen and there is speculation, at least 
we are hearing, that there is going to be something that comes 
in to fill the space.
    Do you believe that EPA acted within its statutory 
authority when it issued the Clean Power Plan? Should EPA use 
the Clean Power Act to regulate a power plant's carbon dioxide 
emissions outside the fence line?
    Mr. Frey. Thank you, Senator Capito. Obviously, carbon 
emissions from power plants are a substantial issue of national 
environmental interest.
    Early in my career, as a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon 
University, I did research with the U.S. Department of Energy 
Laboratory in Morgantown, West Virginia, where I was doing 
techno-economic assessment of clean coal technologies. I have 
done a little bit of work looking, for example, at carbon 
capture in some of my research as well. I know this is an 
important issue.
    With regard to the letter you that referenced, a colleague 
and I were mainly addressing what we viewed as some factual 
issues in an op-ed that had been published a week or so 
earlier. We weren't so much getting to the legal authority for 
the Clean Power Plan. I do know that is an issue of robust 
debate on the part of multi-stakeholders.
    Certainly, if confirmed as an Assistant Administrator for 
the Office of Research and Development, it is really not my 
swim lane or space to weigh in on those legal policy issues. My 
commitment would be to lead ORD to provide the science that is 
needed to inform those kinds of decisions on the part of our 
partner program offices that would be considering those legal 
and policy issues.
    Senator Capito. I would urge you, should you be in this 
position, this is where the transparency aspect comes in, not 
to shield part of the research or part of the science that 
comes from--maybe sometimes it does not say exactly what the 
policymakers want it to say. We know that happens frequently. 
So I would make that plea again for the transparency.
    Dr. Clyburn Reed, you mentioned 342 counties in the 
Crescent. As I spoke about in my opening statement, I have 
quite a bit of experience with the ARC and the great work it 
can do. You said a couple things in your opening statement that 
are important.
    First of all was partnerships. A Commission can't do it 
all. You have to work with your local--all up and down the 
spectrum from private to public entities. That is good.
    The other thing I would say, you mentioned the persistent 
poverty counties, the 92 counties. You are going to have to 
prioritize. Obviously if you are starting anywhere, you have to 
figure out where you can have the biggest bang for your buck 
but also make the most, as you said, make the most impact with 
what you have.
    Is that how you would prioritize in terms of the lowest 
poverty? I would recommend that myself, I guess is what I am 
saying. Start with the places that you can really make 
improvements on.
    And I liked your talk about broadband in answer to one of 
the questions. Because that is one way I think that you could 
see measurable improvements.
    Have you thought about these 92 persistently poverty 
counties? I am sure some are in South Carolina, not everywhere. 
How would you attack that kind of economic development issue?
    Ms. Reed. Thank you for that question.
    Yes, those 92 counties are really concerning. That is a 
lot.
    Senator Capito. Right.
    Ms. Reed. First, as I have had a conversation with Gayle 
Manchin in the Appalachian, I will have a conversation with her 
chief of staff as well as to how they go about prioritizing. We 
would mirror our actions after what the ARC actually does.
    In looking at the needs of my State in particular, one size 
does not fit all, like I said before. So the grassroots level 
community leaders working at the State level with the 
Governor's office, we would come up with a plan that would be 
conducive to the State that we are in.
    Every State will be responsible for doing that, every 
Governor. We will look at seven different plans, and then we 
will prioritize those particular counties first, and then move 
from there.
    Senator Capito. I would imagine, with your background as an 
educator, you have a good reach into that aspect of persistent 
poverty, what is the education availability levels and all 
those kinds of things I think probably contribute to some of 
the factors of the high poverty levels.
    I will turn now to Senator Graham.
    Senator Graham. Thank you both very much, Senator Carper 
and Senator Capito.
    I am here very quickly, because there is a hearing in 
Judiciary, to give my wholehearted support to Dr. Clyburn Reed 
for this job. I have known her family quite a while. This is an 
excellent choice. She will do a great job.
    I know the entire family is proud, but all of us in South 
Carolina are very proud of the fact that you will be the co-
chairman of this organization. I just want to thank you for 
being willing to serve.
    Ms. Reed. Thank you, Senator.
    Senator Graham. I would echo what Senator Capito said. 
Broadband is a game changer. We have learned from COVID if you 
can't go to school, and you are stuck at home, and the Internet 
does not work, your kids fall behind; that telemedicine is the 
future. Getting to the doctor, you don't have to get on the 
road as often to get to the doctor. You can consult your doctor 
if you have the right technology. That keeps people off the 
highway, keeps us safe, and allows medicine to be done in a new 
and different way.
    As the electric co-ops changed rural America about 75 to 80 
years ago, I think broadband is going to be the equivalent of 
that for the 21st century and beyond.
    I want to recognize the work your father has done on this. 
Jim is here. I know he is here as a proud father, and as a 
distinguished Member of Congress, and a very well known and 
respected South Carolinian. I look forward to helping you with 
this nomination.
    When you get the job, I want to do what Senator Capito did, 
let's put all of our resources into upgrading these rural 
counties which have been left behind, many of them 
predominantly African American.
    Mr. Frey, I am glad to see you have changed your opinion 
about charcoaling at ball games. So all is good.
    Thank you both.
    [Laughter.]
    Mr. Frey. Thank you, Senator.
    Ms. Reed. Thank you, Senator.
    Senator Carper [presiding]. Thanks very much for joining 
us, Lindsey.
    I want to turn now to a question for Dr. Frey dealing with 
experience and goals for the EPA Office of Research and 
Development.
    Dr. Frey, before joining EPA earlier this year as the 
Office of Research and Development's Deputy Assistant 
Administrator for Science Policy, you already had significant 
experience working with the agency, including 10 years in which 
you served as a member of the EPA's Scientific Advisory Board, 
a member for FIFRA's Scientific Advisory Board, and a member 
and Chair of EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee.
    How has this experience informed your approach to leading 
the Office of Research and Development? And what are your goals 
for this office if confirmed?
    Mr. Frey. Thank you, Senator Carper, for that question.
    Those experiences that you referenced have been very 
influential and informative in my preparation, if confirmed for 
this role through all of those Federal advisory committees that 
I have served upon. What I have learned from that is how 
incredibly important it is that the agency have access to the 
independent, external, scientific advice of world class experts 
who are leading scientists in their respective fields.
    Also, the problems we face transcend so many boundaries, 
including boundaries of scientific disciplines. We really need 
all scientists on deck just like we need all hands on deck more 
broadly.
    These committees are an important way that we engage with 
the external science community in an open and transparent 
manner, including public comment and the opportunity for our 
external experts to hear the views of multiple stakeholders and 
consider that in providing their advice and peer review to the 
agency. So it is a critical role.
    In terms of my priorities, if confirmed, my three biggest 
priorities, No. 1, ORD has an outstanding career work force. I 
am so proud to work with the career scientists and all the 
support folks in ORD. We need to be positioned for emerging 
challenges and for challenges of the future. So it is critical 
that with the resources available to us from Congress that we 
hire scientists in key disciplines that will move us forward, 
and also that our work force becomes more diversified and that 
our work force looks more like the America that we are serving.
    No. 2, we have so many high priority, urgent scientific 
challenges from the President, from the Administrator, and what 
we are hearing from our State stakeholders, tribal 
stakeholders, community stakeholders, and the scientific 
community, issues that I think you are all well aware of, 
climate and environmental justice, PFAS, lead, the aquifer 
recharge that Senator Inhofe referred to, harmful algal blooms 
and many, many others. ORD is a national resource, and I would 
be very proud to lead the science team at ORD to meet the 
science needs of the country and the agency.
    Then the last thing is, we really need to help solve 
problems, but we have to do so, as Senator Capito alluded to, 
with credibility. It is important to me that we do our science 
with integrity and that we develop and translate the best 
available science to inform all of our partners. We need to do 
policy relevant science that answers policy questions, but we 
need to do rigorous, best available science. And that is the 
role of ORD.
    Senator Carper. Good. Thank you for that.
    Dr. Reed, you had a chance to actually take a shot at the 
question I am going to ask you right now. If you want to 
amplify on what you said earlier, go ahead.
    Here is my question. How does your experience in South 
Carolina inform your understanding of what the Southeast 
Crescent Regional Commission can do for communities across the 
Southeast Crescent Region?
    Ms. Reed. Thank you for that question.
    My experience in South Carolina in education, let's start 
there first. As an educator, it is my job to do long range 
plans. Looking at our long range plans as an educator, I make 
monthly goals, then weekly lesson plans, then daily lesson 
plans. This is a process that I have done for over 30 years.
    So in approaching the activities of the Southeast Crescent 
Regional Commission, I would start with a strategic plan. And 
in that strategic plan, then we would outline the needs and the 
assets of each one of the communities in each one of the 
States.
    Particularly in South Carolina, we have seen how the lack 
of broadband in several areas has cost us economically. The 
primary goal of the Commission is economic development. So we 
would need to fill the gaps in our State and in other States 
where those gaps are, so that we can grow and prosper 
economically across the region.
    Senator Carper. All right; great. Thanks for that response.
    Senator Capito.
    Senator Capito. Thank you.
    Dr. Frey, I wanted to ask you, I mentioned in my opening 
statement that there is no nominee for the Office of Air and 
Radiation. If there were a nominee, I would ask that nominee 
this question as well.
    Apparently, Joe Goffman, who is the current, unconfirmed 
head of the Air Office, has said that the Administration is 
working an initiative regarding the power sector. That leaves 
us all to guess, what is that? It could be a suite of 
regulations to drive down carbon dioxide emissions by squeezing 
the power sector through regulations on issues other than 
carbon dioxide, like emissions, water, waste. And the net 
effect being to force coal and perhaps natural gas plants to 
not only reduce operations but possibly close.
    Are you aware of this initiative that is going on under his 
leadership? Have you provided research assistance on this?
    Mr. Frey. Thank you, Senator Capito.
    Yes, of course it is the role of ORD to provide scientific 
support and advice and information to support the work of our 
program offices. ORD, for example, has the capability to do 
energy mix modeling and life cycle analysis, and also to look 
at the health effects related to the operations of the energy 
sector. These would be the kinds of support that we can 
provide.
    Certainly, there are discussions within the agency on 
initiatives. But as far as specific details of what the Office 
of Air and Radiation is considering, I would have to defer to 
that office, since our focus is on the science and not the 
policy.
    I would be happy to take your question back with me to the 
agency.
    Senator Capito. I guess my question too was to your 
knowledge--at present has this already involved the office of 
ORD to bring forward specific studies that would help with this 
regulatory goal? Or are you not aware? Do you want to get back 
to me on that?
    Mr. Frey. I think I would want to get back to you on that 
to give you an accurate answer.
    Senator Capito. All right. That sounds good.
    Also the Office of Research and Development oversees the 
Integrated Risk Information Center, known as IRIS. Are you 
familiar with that?
    Mr. Frey. Yes.
    Senator Capito. Yes. The IRIS program, I guess you must 
have been alluding to this a little bit, health hazards of 
certain chemicals, and hazard assessments are then used for 
health standards. You know this is an issue I am very concerned 
about as it relates to the PFAS issue.
    The GAO has criticized EPA for the length of time to 
complete an IRIS hazard assessment. The agency has been further 
criticized because of the lack of usefulness of some of those 
assessments.
    Could you describe to me how you could modernize this 
system on this program to respond to some of the previous 
criticism?
    Mr. Frey. Yes, thank you, Senator. The IRIS program has 
been with the agency for well more than a decade, I think 
longer than that. In my own career, in addition to the service 
I have had on EPA advisory committees, I have served on a 
number of National Academy of Science bodies, including the 
Board of Environmental Studies and Toxicology that has done a 
number of studies that oversee and provide advice and peer 
review of IRIS.
    I know that over the years, IRIS has undergone maturation 
as a result of the expert peer review advice from the National 
Academies. In recent years, the staff have modernized 
approaches on things that we call systematic evidence mapping 
and related techniques for assessing the overall body of 
evidence. This has been based on recommendations from the 
National Academy of Science.
    We also are very mindful that in using resources for this 
program, we need to complement and not be duplicative of any 
other resource use in the agency. And so we do coordinate very 
closely with our partners in the program offices.
    IRIS assessments do serve the needs of science, of really 
all of the regulatory programs, the Air, Water, Land, and 
Chemicals Offices. We work very closely with the programs as 
well as the EPA regions to understand for what chemicals do 
they see a need for assessment, so that when we do an 
assessment, it is on a chemical for which they need information 
that serves a practical purpose.
    Senator Capito. All right, thank you. Thank you both.
    Senator Carper. I would like to refocus a little bit on 
PFAS, that is something, an issue that Senator Capito and I 
have focused on a lot, especially given the challenges they 
face in West Virginia with PFAS and in many other States, 
including Delaware around Dover Air Force Base in particular.
    As you know, last week Administrator Regan, this is for Dr. 
Frey, Administrator Regan released a comprehensive strategic 
road map that lays out the agency's plans to address the 
complicated challenges of forever chemicals known as PFAS. 
Considering the role of the Office of Research and Development, 
I expect that your office would have a significant role in this 
effort.
    My question is, under your leadership, how will the Office 
of Research and Development support the implementation of EPA's 
PFAS road map which was announced and laid out earlier this 
month?
    Mr. Frey. Thank you, Senator Carper, for that question.
    In the PFAS road map, the very first premise of that is 
research. And the President and the Administrator are committed 
to a science informed approach on PFAS. So ORD will certainly 
have, if confirmed, under my leadership, will have a front and 
center role on developing the science to support our partners 
throughout the agency, but also outside the agency. As you 
allude to, many States are dealing with PFAS, tribal 
communities, communities in general.
    There are three main things that will be my focus. No. 1 is 
we actually need to develop more methods to measure PFAS in the 
environment. There are literally thousands of PFAS, and yet 
there are approved methods for really only a dozen or so. We 
need to be able to measure them in multiple environmental 
media. This is one of the research areas where ORD will 
contribute. This is necessary; we have to measure it to be able 
to manage it.
    The second is ORD is I think leading, providing world class 
leadership on how to do the toxicity testing so that we can 
understand the human health and environmental effects of PFAS, 
recognizing because there are so many PFAS, they are not all 
the same. We have to account for variations among different 
PFAS to have effective management schemes.
    The third is, we have to know how to manage PFAS. What can 
we do to remediate PFAS or to treat PFAS in drinking water or 
waste water or to destroy PFAS. These are technologies that ORD 
is assessing and providing advice to our partners.
    Senator Carper. You talked earlier about wanting to be 
guided by science. I think that is great. We hear that; we want 
to as well. We also want to make sure that we make some 
progress. The last Administration, I think it is unfair to say 
we have wasted 4 years, but we didn't get much done in the last 
Administration. I am pleased that this Administration has laid 
out a road map. Senator Capito, myself, and others on this 
Committee are anxious to make sure that we make real progress 
in the next months as well as the coming year.
    How to save a life? There are a lot of ways we can save a 
life. One of the ways we can save a life is to make sure we 
focus on PFAS and getting it right, and we are intent on doing 
that.
    I have maybe one last question and then will yield to 
Senator Capito for any last questions or comments that she 
wants to make.
    Let's talk a little about tribal nations. We work on this 
Committee a fair amount with tribal nations which was a 
surprise to me when I joined the Committee, but it is a 
pleasure and privilege. If you are confirmed, how will the 
Office of Research and Development work with tribal nations 
across our country to improve the natural environment and 
health of indigenous Americans?
    Mr. Frey. Thank you, Senator.
    You alluded to my current role at ORD. I have been with the 
agency for about 9 months. One of my priorities in coming 
onboard has been to engage with tribal communities and tribal 
representatives.
    I am really proud that the Office of Research and 
Development has a Tribal Science Council. We have a 
collaborative model of working in partnership with tribal 
representatives from across the country on identifying science 
issues and working together with tribal scientists to address 
those issues.
    Certainly, we are hearing from our tribal partners about 
climate change, environmental justice issues, water resources. 
We also have to recognize the importance of traditional 
ecological knowledge and tribal lifeways as factors that are 
important to Tribes in identifying problems Tribes think are 
important. We have to be careful not to assume that in our 
offices in Washington, we know the answers that the Tribes 
need. It is very important that we engage with Tribes.
    I mentioned in my opening remarks that my leadership will 
start with listening. I have been listening to the Tribes. As 
part of our research planning efforts, which are actually 
ongoing at this time, we will be doing formal consultation with 
Tribes to internalize their concerns into our research agenda.
    Senator Carper. Thank you.
    Senator Capito, any last thoughts or questions you would 
like to add?
    Senator Capito. No. I would just like to thank both of you 
for being here and your families and your support. Again, I 
just want to express my gratitude for your willingness to 
serve. Thank you.
    Mr. Frey. Thank you, Senator.
    Senator Carper. I would say I want to second that emotion.
    I want to thank you both for being here today.
    Dr. Reed, it is a real pleasure to see you in person.
    Dr. Frey, thank you for being here today and teaching us 
how to pronounce your name.
    [Laughter.]
    Mr. Frey. Thank you, sir.
    Senator Carper. We are grateful for both of you and your 
willingness to serve our country, especially at a time when we 
are addressing our Nation's environmental challenges. There are 
plenty of them. Also, fostering economic development is so 
critical.
    Dr. Reed, I spent some time as Governor, actually before 
that, focusing on job creation and job preservation. The 
Appalachian Regional Commission, a lot of that Commission is 
included in the State that Senator Capito represents, the State 
I was born in.
    I mentioned to you when we spoke earlier this week, 
Governors don't create jobs, Senators don't create jobs, 
Presidents don't create jobs, even Chairs of regional 
commissions don't create jobs. But we help create a nurturing 
climate for job creation.
    I mentioned the Center for Automotive Excellence in 
southern Delaware. It is housed at the Delaware Technical 
Community College campus. It is a partnership that involves 
auto dealers, poultry industry folks, the Economic Development 
Administration, Sussex County, State of Delaware, all of the 
above. It is like we tied our ropes, pieces of rope, tied them 
together to create a community rope. That is the best economic 
development I have seen is where we do that as a partnership.
    You are going to have an opportunity to help provide some 
of the rope and help tie those ropes together. Make the most of 
that.
    Again, I want to say to your families who are here, 
particularly to your dad, Dr. Reed, it is great to see him. I 
want to thank him and your mom for raising you and preparing 
you for all these opportunities you have had.
    I would say again to Chris Frey, Dr. Frey, I know your wife 
is here. Thank you for our willingness again to share your 
husband. Is that your daughter over your right shoulder? What 
is her name?
    Mr. Frey. Loren.
    Senator Carper. Loren, very nice to see you. Thank you for 
joining us. You have done a really good job raising your dad. 
You can be proud of the way he has turned out.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Carper. If I could be serious for a moment, it is 
not hard to understand why the President has nominated each of 
you for these important positions. Our hope is that you can be 
confirmed without delay so that you can go to work and assemble 
your teams. One of the most important things to do is 
assembling the team.
    You have a great opportunity, Dr. Reed, to put together a 
team. It is like having a blank board. Make the most of it. 
Find the best people you can, and surround yourself with them.
    Before we adjourn, we have a little bit of housekeeping. I 
want to ask unanimous consent to submit for the record a 
variety of materials that includes letters from stakeholders 
and other materials that relate to today's nomination.
    Is there objection?
    Hearing none, so ordered.
    [The referenced information follows:]
    
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]     
    
    Senator Carper. Senators will be allowed to submit 
questions for the record through the close of business on 
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021. We will compile those questions, 
send them to our witnesses, and ask our witnesses to reply by 
Wednesday, November 10th.
    With that, this hearing is adjourned. Thank you all.
    [Whereupon, at 11:14 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]