Statement of EDF’s US Climate and Energy Program’s Associate Vice President and Chief Counsel Mark Brownstein

“We applaud the Energy Secretary’s decision today to appoint Dr. Paula Gant as the new U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas. We’ve worked closely with Gant while she has been with the American Gas Association. She fully understands that we cannot have a secure energy future if we do not protect the environment, and we are confident in her abilities to meet the challenges ahead.”

“Her office has a full plate. Real questions persist about this nation’s ability to safely produce oil and natural gas resources – unacceptable impacts to the air, water and land that put our communities, habitats and the climate at risk of pollution.”

“More needs to be done now to reduce the risks associated with oil and natural gas development and to minimize methane emissions resulting from the production, transportation and delivery of new supplies. Gant has exceptional qualifications and experience engaging environmental advocates and industry stakeholders, finding policy solutions that can work for all sides. We look forward to continuing to work with Gant in her new role to improve critically important public health and environmental protections pertaining to oil and gas operations.”    

- Mark Brownstein, Associate Vice President and Chief Counsel, US Climate and Energy Program of Environmental Defense Fund