ONE WEEK LEFT ON HUIZENGA’S STATUS AS ACTING DOE CLEANUP CHIEF

The clock is rapidly ticking down on David Huizenga’s status as acting Assistant Energy Secretary for Environmental Management, and there is still no sign of if or when the White House will move to formally nominate him for the post. Huizenga’s acting status is currently set to expire on Feb. 14, and it remains unclear how EM will be managed after that date. Huizenga could remain the nominal head of the program without the “acting” designation, continuing to manage the day-to-day responsibilities of the program and having Under Secretary Tom D’Agostino sign off on any decisions that require special approval. DOE may also choose to designate someone else as acting EM-1 through the election in November. For his part, Huizenga was named in early July to serve as acting DOE cleanup chief after Assistant EM Secretary Ines Triay stepped down from the position.