Christopher Frey overcame criticism from Senate Republicans to win confirmation on Wednesday, becoming assistant secretary of the EPA’s Office of Research and Development.
Frey was confirmed on a 51-43 vote. In his new role, Frey will oversee a large department that conducts the scientific research that feeds into the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations and decisions.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan has repeatedly promised to bolster and elevate scientific integrity throughout the agency, and has authorized steps to give agency policymakers better scientific information earlier in the process.
The research branch is organized into six programs: air and energy; chemical safety; health ...