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Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management

Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, Department of Energy
Responsibility
Management Scope

The assistant secretary for environmental management had $5.83 billion in budget outlays in fiscal 2014.3

Primary Responsibilities

• Completes environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex
• Manages and directs the cleanup of 107 contaminated nuclear weapons manufacturing and testing sites located in 35 states across the U.S.
• Ensures the safe disposition of large volumes of nuclear waste; safeguards materials that could be used in nuclear weapons; deactivates and decommissions several thousand contaminated facilitates no longer needed to support the Department of Energy’s (DOE) mission; and remediates extensive surface and groundwater contamination
• Provides leadership and develops mission strategies, policy and guidance for DOE’s environmental cleanup program and associated activities at DOE sites
• Provides policy direction and long-term planning to environmental management field elements and other DOE sites across the complex
• Provides budget formulation and execution guidance that facilitates risk reduction and cleanup
• Directs policy for the transition of contaminated departmental facilities starting from the initial shutdown and continuing through decontamination and decommissioning to the eventual disposition
• Ensures that the organization promotes diversity and equal employment opportunities consistent with departmental policies and requirements
• Serves as the environmental management acquisition executive
• Ensures that the organization promotes small-business initiatives
• Represents the department regarding its clean-up mission vision to Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, state and local authorities and other stakeholders4

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Proven leadership experience at federal or state government or industry levels in leading nuclear operations; construction; environmental restoration; health, safety and quality assurance; safeguards and security; and emergency management
• Experience in leading diverse stakeholders through legislative approaches (vital)
• Knowledge of key environmental laws and regulations (critical)
• Advanced degree in engineering or scientific areas (preferred)
• Experience conducting and assessing national strategies for reducing risk and environmental liability (critical)
• Experience in program and acquisition management of national projects that pose significant risks to public health and safety
• Experience assessing progress made in reducing risk and environmental liabilities.
• Experience leading complex, geographically dispersed programs

Competencies

• Ability to lead and discuss complex technical and scientific issues with Congress; international, state and local governments; stakeholder groups; and tribal nations
• Strong communication skills for extensive public-speaking engagements
• Willingness to travel extensively

Past Appointments
  • Monica C. Regalbuto (2015 to 2017): Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Environmental Management, Department of Energy; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Fuel Cycle Technologies, Office of Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy; Senior Program Manager, Office of Environmental Management, Department of Energy5
  • Ines R. Triay (2009 to 2012): Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Environmental Management, Department of Energy; Chief Operations Officer, Office of Environmental Management, Department of Energy; Deputy Chief Operations Officer, Office of Environmental Management, Department of Energy6
  • James A. Rispoli (2005 to 2008): Director, Office of Engineering and Construction Management, Department of Energy; Vice President and Managing Principal, Dames & Moore’s Pacific Ocean Area Operations; President, M&E Pacific7
AGENCY

Department of Energy

Mission: To ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions

COMPENSATION

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)1

REPORTS TO

Undersecretary for Management and Performance2

SENATE COMMITTEE

Armed Services

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Footnote
  1. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
  2. https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/01/f34/DOECHART-2017-01.pdf
  3. Leadership Directories:https://lo.bvdep.com/OrgDocument.asp?OrgId=-1&LDIBookId=19&LDIOrgId=152910&LDISecId=180&FromRecent=0&Save=1&Position=-1#O152910
  4. OPM
  5. https://energy.gov/em/articles/dr-monica-regalbuto-confirmed-doe-assistant-secretary-environmental-management
  6. http://www.allgov.com/officials/triay-in%C3%A9s?officialid=28894
  7. https://www.ncsu.edu/CIL/cnpps/Rispoli.html
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