L A U N C H: P E O P L E
GET T O K N O W A n n e I d s al
N e wl y a p p oi nt e d R e gi o n 6 a d mi ni str at or f or t h e U. S. E n vir o n m e nt al Pr ot e cti o n A g e n c y
— S a m B ar n e s
H o w mi g ht y o u b e st s u m u p t h e “ n e w” E P A ? I d s al: The u ni q ue e nvir o n me nt al
c h alle n ges a n d t he iss ues y o u f ace are di ffere nt i n L o uisi a n a t h a n t he y are i n Te x as, Ne w Me xic o, M as s ac h usetts or C alif or ni a. We w a nt t o m a ke s ure t h at we d o n’t tr y t o pr o p ose a “o ne si z e fits all” s ol uti o n. A d mi nistrat or [ Sc ott] Pr uitt w o ul d n ot pres u me t h at Was hi n gt o n, D. C., w o ul d tell Re gi o n 6, “ We nee d y o u t o d o t hese t hi n gs e x actl y t he s a me w a y t h at Re gi o n 3 or 1 d o es t he m, or Re gi o ns 9 a n d 1 0.” W hile t here nee ds t o be a le vel of c o nsiste nc y a n d cle ar e x pect ati o ns, we are activel y see ki n g o p p ort u nities t o w or k wit h t he st ates o n a n i n divi d u al b asis.
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We w a nt t o w or k wit h y o u t o u n derst a n d w h at t he iss ues a n d c o n cer ns are a n d fi n d t he b est p ossi ble fit i n ter ms of w h at we’re le g all y o bli g ate d t o d o. H o w d o e s c o o p er ati v e f e d er ali s m f a ct or i nt o t hi s a p pr o a c h ? I d s al: C o o p erative fe deralis m d o es
n ot me a n t h at E P A will s a y, “ Alri g ht st ates, it’s all o n y o u. We’ll c hec k i n o n y o u fr o m ti me t o ti me.” O ne t hi n g t h at y o u will see fr o m me is a n active, c oll a b orative a n d e n g a ge d p art ner. We w a nt t o u n derst a n d y o ur i n divi d u al nee ds a n d c o ncer ns. We w a nt t o k n o w w here t here are o p p ort u nities a n d s a y, “ Alri g ht, L o uisi a n a, y o u t a ke t he le a d o n t his. Yo u’ve g ot a pr ove n trac k rec or d a n d we will c hec k o n y o u fr o m ti me t o ti me t o m a ke s ure t h at t hi n gs are g oi n g as t he y s h o ul d a n d as pr o mise d.” There will b e ot her ti mes w he n we’ll p art ner b y s h ari n g e x p ertise a n d i nf or m ati o n. The n, at s o me p oi nt d o w n t he r o a d L D E Q c a n t a ke t he le a d. There will b e ot her ti mes w he n L D E Q mi g ht as k us t o t a ke t he le a d. I n c o o p erative fe deralis m, t here is s h are d acc o u nt a bilit y a n d s h are d res p o nsi bilit y.
H o w i s t h e pr o c e s s g oi n g wit h L D E Q? I d s al: Dr. [ C h uc k] Br o w n [ L D E Q
secret ar y] is alre a d y a w o n derf ul p art ner. We’ve t al ke d t o o ne a n ot her a b o ut getti n g a he a d of c h alle n ges, getti n g a he a d of iss ues a n d st a yi n g a he a d of t he m s o t h at we d o n’t wi n d u p wit h a s ur prise o n eit her si de of t he t a ble. F or L D E Q t o b e a ble t o d o its j o b e ffectivel y we nee d t o b e a c oll a b orative p art ner. We mi g ht hel p t he m w or k t hr o u g h a p er mit a p plic ati o n, f or e x a m ple, or de al wit h a n e nf orce me nt iss ue, as o p p ose d t o k n oc ki n g o n t he d o or l ate i n t he g a me a n d s a yi n g, “ He y, y o u di d n’t d o
1 0/ 1 2 I N D U S T R Y R E P O R T • S E C O N D Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 8
C O U R T E S Y U. S. E N VI R O N M E N T A L P R O T E C TI O N A G E N C Y
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n ne I ds al h as s p e nt her c areer s h a pi n g e nvir o n me nt al a n d l a n d p olic y i n Te xas — first as ge neral c o u nsel t o t he Te x as C o m missi o n o n E nvir o n me nt al Q u alit y, t he n as c hief cler k a n d de p ut y l a n d c o m missi o ner at t he Te x as Ge neral L a n d O ffice. S he n o w le a ds E P A’s five-st ate Re gi o n 6 as re gi o n al a d mi nistrat or a n d t o oversee t he a ge nc y’s a ge n d a of “c o o perative fe deralis m” — o ne w here E P A t a kes a m ore c oll a b orative, rat her t h a n dict at ori al, st a nce wit h st ate e nvir o n me nt al a ge ncies. Si nce t a ki n g t he p ost i n Dece m ber, I ds al h as bee n o n a s p e a ki n g t o ur of s orts, i ntr o d uci n g t his ne w bra n d of fe deral m a n a ge me nt t h at pre ac hes c o o perati o n a n d a re gi o n al i z e d, st ate- b y-st ate a p pr o ac h. 1 0 / 1 2 I n d ustr y Re p ort s at d o w n wit h her t o disc uss her g o als a n d t heir p ote nti al i m p acts t o L o uisi a n a i n d ustr y. S he s a ys t he a ge nc y is i n t he pr ocess of bei n g stre a mli ne d a n d ref or m u l ate d t o eli mi n ate w h at it feels are u n necess ar y o bst acles t o e xec uti n g e nvir o n me nt al p olic y.
X, Y a n d Z, s o we’re g oi n g t o t a ke over fr o m here.” We d o n’t w a nt t h at t o b e t he m o del. D o y o u f e el t h e f u n di n g str u c t ur e i s w h er e it n e e d s t o b e f or t h e l o c al D E Q s t o t a k e o n m or e r e s p o n si bilit y ? I d s al: If res o urces are a n iss ue,
we nee d t o pl a n f or t h at a n d k n o w a b o ut it, a n d t he n we’ll t a ke t he le a d o n t h ose, b ut we w a nt t o c o me t o t he t a ble n ot j ust ass u mi n g t h at E P A’s g oi n g t o t a ke t he le a d o n e ver yt hi n g. We w a nt t o st art u n der t he o p p osite ki n d of p ara di g m, o ne w here t he st ates tell us w h at t he y w a nt t o d o, w h at t he y w a nt t o p art ner wit h us o n, a n d w h at t he y nee d us t o d o.
Y o u t al k a b o ut t h e i m pl e m e n t ati o n of “l e a n m a n a g e m e nt ” pr o c e s s e s at t h e R e gi o n 6 of fi c e. W h at ar e t h e i m pli c ati o n s of t hi s f or L D E Q a n d L o ui si a n a i n d u str y ? I d s al: We’re getti n g re a d y t o p us h
le a n m a n a ge me nt t hr o u g h o ur e ntire b usi ness pr ocesses. We are bri n gi n g t he E P A i nt o t he 2 1st ce nt ur y i n ter ms of h o w we d o b usi ness, wit h
t he g o al of t ur ni n g i nf or m ati o n ar o u n d i n si x m o nt hs or less, n ot ye ars. We’re n ot g oi n g t o kic k t he c a n d o w n t he r o a d. We’re g oi n g t o be pr o active i n m a ki n g decisi o ns a n d we’re g oi n g t o c o m m u nic ate t h ose cle arl y. Yo u are g oi n g t o k n o w w here t hi n gs st a n d a n d y o u will k n o w w h at t he st at us is. A bi g p art of t h at is h avi n g y o u all c o me t o t he t a ble a n d hel p us u n derst a n d w h at y o u nee d, w h at’s cle ar, w h at’s n ot cle ar, etc. Y o u’r e al s o pr o m oti n g t h e i n cr e a s e d u s e of p u bli c - pri v at e p art n er s hi p s. W h at mi g ht t h at l o o k li k e t o t h e p etr o c h e mi c al or oil a n d g a s c o m p a n y ?
I ds al: O ur br o w n fiel ds pr o gra m is a pri me e x a m ple. We’ll g o i nt o a m o deratel y c o nt a mi n ate d site a n d w or k wit h a de vel o per t h at’s i ntereste d i n t he pr o pert y. We get it t o a p oi nt w here it’s cle a ne d u p t o a c o m merci al or resi de nti al st a n d ar d, de pe n di n g u p o n t he t y pe of pr o per t y or de vel o p me nt i nterest. I n t h at c ase, we’re w or ki n g activel y wit h a de vel o per. I w o ul d be s ur prise d if t here are n’t si mil ar o p p ort u nities wit hi n t he oil a n d g as c o nte xt. 1 0 1 2i n d u str yr e p ort. c o m