Inhofe says EPA Fails to Include Flyover Country on Advisory Committee

eparegionsmap

Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe is asking Environmental Protection Agency Director Gina McCarthy to correct her lack of geographic diversity on the list of candidates she nominated to serve on one of the agency’s advisory committees.

In a recent letter, he pointed out how she has had a problem in making appointments in the past to the EPA’s chartered Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee.

“As you know, I have long expressed concerns over the composition of previously appointed CASAC panels, but I am hopeful you will use this opportunity to appoint an expert that will bring much needed balance and integrity to CASAC,” said Inhofe, in his capacity as chairman of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

He went on to state that the EPA’s record for ensuring geographic diversity on its advisory panels has been “lacking under the Obama Administration.” The senator said of the seven members now on the chartered CASAC, there are no members from EPA Regions 2,4,6,7 or 8. Oklahoma is part of the EPA’s Region 6.

“In fact, over the course of this Administration, EPA has not appointed a single person from EPA Regions 6, 7, or 8 to serve on the chartered CASAC, there is no reason for EPA to overlook well-qualified candidates from these areas that would clearly balance the panel with respect to geographic diversity.”

A check of the EPA regions map shows most of the nation’s mid-section, the so-called “fly-over” states are not represented. Here is the list of states not included on the committee included New York and New Jersey in Region 2; Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida in Region 4; Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico in Region 6; Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri in Region 7 and Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota and South Dakota in Region 8.

Those regions with representation are the far west coast and the middle-eastern seaboard states.