It could take the Department of Energy four to six months to select its candidate to lead the Office of Environmental Management and move the nominee through the Senate confirmation process, an informed source said this week.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry has not yet put any of his management team in place since his Senate confirmation on March 2. A Senate committee earlier this month approved Texas insurance lobbyist Dan Brouillette as deputy energy secretary, but he has not yet received a vote by the full chamber.
Meanwhile, DOE offices are under temporary leadership. For nuclear cleanup, that is acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Sue Cange, a nearly 30-year veteran of the department who came to headquarters after leading the Oak Ridge, Tenn., EM office.
Reports earlier this month indicated Cange could be replaced as the temporary head of DOE’s $6.5 billion yearly cleanup operation. Speaking to Weapons Complex Monitor this week, the former administration official said there was no new information regarding Cange’s standing. The Office of Environmental Management did not respond to a request for comment.
There were also no new updates on who might still be in the mix to take over EM on a permanent basis, the former official said.
Former DOE cleanup contractor John “Rick” Dearholt acknowledged over the spring that he was in the running for the job. He had been scheduled for an interview with Perry in March, but the meeting was canceled.
Hundreds of sub-Cabinet level positions across the federal government have gone unfilled across the federal government since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, including several at the Department of Energy.
The former administration official said there was word this week that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was trying to put together a large package of nominees for Senate consideration before the July 4 holiday.
Assuming Brouillette is on that list, his confirmation could pave the way for Perry to begin filling low-level spots at DOE.
