Stephen L. Johnson

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Stephen L. Johnson
11th Administrator of the EPA
In office January 26, 2005 – January 20, 2009
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Michael Leavitt
Succeeded by	Lisa P. Jackson
Born	March 21, 1951 (1951-03-21) (age 58) Washington D. C.
Political party	Republican

Stephen L. Johnson (born March 21, 1951 in Washington D. C.) was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President George W. Bush during the second term of his administration.

Contents 1 Education and career in industry 2 EPA career prior to becoming administrator 3 EPA Administrator 3.1 Senate confirmation 3.2 Greenhouse gases controversy 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Education and career in industry

Johnson attended Taylor University, receiving a B.A. in biology followed by a master's degree in pathology from George Washington University. Before working for the U.S. Government, he held a number of positions in laboratory and bio-technology companies. He was also the director of Hazelton Laboratories, now Covance.

[edit] EPA career prior to becoming administrator

Johnson began working at the EPA in 1979. He had been working at a private lab, Litton Bionetics Inc., in Washington. Johnson said that a mentor suggested he get a job at the EPA, learn about regulations from inside government, and then return to industry. "Regulations were really frustrating," Johnson told the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2008, recalling his decision to join the EPA. "I wondered if they really understood what it was like to work in a laboratory."^[1]

Johnson's rise from career scientist to EPA chief began in 2001, when he made the jump from civil service bureaucrat to political appointee. In January 2001, Johnson was the lead staff toxics official at EPA. His selection as assistant administrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances was set in motion by a Kentucky lobbyist, Charles Grizzle, whose clients have included power companies, hospitals, shopping centers, and a formaldehyde industry association. After the 2000 election, Grizzle called then-senior White House aide Karl Rove and suggested that Rove should take a look at Johnson.^[1]

When EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman resigned in 2003, Johnson became the acting deputy administrator, the number two position at EPA, and remained in that position when former Utah governor Michael Leavitt was named administrator. In 2005, when Leavitt became secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Johnson became acting administrator.^[1]

[edit] EPA Administrator

He became the acting Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency on January 26, 2005. On March 4, 2005, President George W. Bush nominated him formally for the permanent position, replacing former administrator Michael O. Leavitt. A 27-year veteran of the Agency, he is the first career employee to hold the position of Administrator and the first scientist to head the Agency. Prior to becoming Administrator, he held several senior-level positions, including Acting Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Acting Deputy Administrator, and Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances. He has received the Presidential Rank Award – the highest award that can be given to a civilian federal employee.

As Administrator, he managed more than 17,000 Agency employees nationwide and oversaw an annual budget of $7.7 billion. His tenure expired on January 20, 2009.

[edit] Senate confirmation

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Johnson was criticized for his support of using human subjects in pesticide testing. In April, 2005, a secret hold was placed on his confirmation vote after he refused to cancel the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study, which advocated recording the effects of pesticides on children from infancy to age 3. On April 8, Johnson canceled the study. His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 29.

[edit] Greenhouse gases controversy

Johnson tried to block the efforts of 17 states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy. He defended his position by arguing that “The Bush administration is moving forward with a clear national solution, not a confusing patchwork of state rules. I believe this is a better approach than if individual states were to act alone.” However, the state rules he is blocking are more stringent than the Bush administration's proposed national solution.^[2] Johnson came under investigation for allowing the White House to improperly interfere with the decision to grant California a waiver to limit greenhouse gases. The investigation began when it became known that, prior to a series of communiques with the Bush administration, Johnson had planned on granting California the waiver. Johnson has refused to comment on his talks with the White House, and has ignored subpoenas for relevant documents. On May 20, 2008, Johnson was questioned for three hours by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The Committee Chair, Henry Waxman (D-CA), said "You have essentially become a figurehead....The president apparently insisted in his judgment and overrode the unanimous recommendations of EPA scientific and legal experts. You reversed yourself after having candid conversations with the White House."^[3] On July 29, 2008, four Senators called for Johnson's resignation, alleging he made false statements to Congress.^[4]

Johnson's stance on this and other issues was criticized by the scientific journal Nature, which charged him with acting in "reckless disregard for law, science or the agency's own rules — or, it seems, the anguished protests of his own subordinates."^[5]

On February 29, 2008, four labor unions representing most of the EPA's professional staff published an open letter to Johnson, complaining that he had ignored the EPA's official Principles of Scientific Integrity in advancing Bush Administration positions on water fluoridation, pesticide regulation, mercury emissions, and greenhouse gas control.^[5]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Congressional Testimony (Video)
• Corruption of EPA chief
• Philadelphia Inquirer article about corruption under Johnson

Government offices
Preceded by Michael Leavitt	Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Served Under: George W. Bush 2005-2009	Succeeded by Lisa P. Jackson

v • d • e Administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency Ruckelshaus • Train • Costle • Burford • Ruckelshaus • Thomas • Reilly • Browner • Whitman • Leavitt • Johnson • Jackson

v • d • e Cabinet of President George W. Bush (2001–2009)   Cabinet Secretary of State Colin Powell (2001–2005) • Condoleezza Rice (2005–2009) Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill (2001–2002) • John Snow (2003–2006) • Henry Paulson (2006–2009) Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (2001–2006) • Robert Gates (2006–2009) Attorney General John Ashcroft (2001–2005) • Alberto Gonzales (2005–2007) • Michael Mukasey (2007–2009) Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton (2001–2006) • Dirk Kempthorne (2006–2009) Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman (2001–2005) • Mike Johanns (2005–2007) • Ed Schafer (2008–2009) Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans (2001–2005) • Carlos Gutierrez (2005–2009) Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao (2001–2009) Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson (2001–2005) • Mike Leavitt (2005–2009) Secretary of Education Rod Paige (2001–2005) • Margaret Spellings (2005–2009) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez (2001–2003) • Alphonso Jackson (2003–2008) • Steve Preston (2008–2009) Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta (2001–2006) • Mary Peters (2006–2009) Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham (2001–2005) • Samuel Bodman (2005–2009) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi (2001–2005) • Jim Nicholson (2005–2007) • James Peake (2007–2009) Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge (2003–2005) • Michael Chertoff (2005–2009)   Cabinet-level Vice President Dick Cheney (2001–2009) White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card (2001–2006) • Joshua Bolten (2006–2009) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Christine Whitman (2001–2003) • Mike Leavitt (2003–2005) • Stephen Johnson (2005–2009) Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mitch Daniels (2001–2003) • Joshua Bolten (2003–2006) • Rob Portman (2006–2007) • Jim Nussle (2007–2009) Director of National Drug Control Policy John Walters (2001–2009) Trade Representative Robert Zoellick (2001–2005) • Rob Portman (2005–2006) • Susan Schwab (2006–2009) Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Joe Allbaugh (2001–2003)