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87–604 PDF 2003

S. HRG. 107–966

NOMINATION OF DR. JAMES R. MAHONEY TO BE

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND

ATMOSPHERE AND DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR

FOR THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND

ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

HEARING

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, 

SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

JANUARY 24, 2002

Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

(

(II)

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina, Chairman 

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii 

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia 

JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts 

JOHN B. BREAUX, Louisiana 

BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota 

RON WYDEN, Oregon 

MAX CLELAND, Georgia 

BARBARA BOXER, California 

JOHN EDWARDS, North Carolina 

JEAN CARNAHAN, Missouri 

BILL NELSON, Florida 

JOHN McCAIN, Arizona 

TED STEVENS, Alaska 

CONRAD BURNS, Montana 

TRENT LOTT, Mississippi 

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas 

OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine 

SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas 

GORDON SMITH, Oregon 

PETER G. FITZGERALD, Illinois 

JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada 

GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia

KEVIN D. KAYES, Democratic Staff Director 

JEANNE BUMPUS, Republican Staff Director and General Counsel 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

Hearing held on January 24, 2002 ......................................................................... 1 

Statement of Senator Kerry .................................................................................... 1 

Statement of Senator Wyden .................................................................................. 2 

WITNESSES

Gregg, Hon. Judd, U.S. Senator from New Hampshire ........................................ 3 

Mahoney, Dr. James R., nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce 

for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy Administrator for the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ......................................................... 5 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 8 

Biographical information ................................................................................. 9 

APPENDIX

McCain, Hon. John, prepared statement ............................................................... 29

Response to written questions submitted to Hon. John McCain by: 

Dr. James R. Mahoney ..................................................................................... 29

(1)

NOMINATION OF DR. JAMES R. MAHONEY TO 

BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND 

ATMOSPHERE AND DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR 

FOR THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND 

ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2002 

U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:05 a.m. in room

SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. John Kerry, presiding. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN KERRY,

U.S. SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS 

Senator KERRY. Good morning. It’s my pleasure to convene this 

hearing today to consider the nomination of Dr. James Mahoney to 

be the Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy 

Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

He’s joined today, I gather, by his wife, Taya, back there with his 

twin daughters, Caitlin and Courtney, and daughter, Deborah, and 

sons, James and Robert, who I’ve just been informed are good constituents of mine in Massachusetts. So we’re even more delighted 

to welcome you here. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator KERRY. I was telling your father a moment ago that, 

given his roots in Massachusetts 25 years long, we probably don’t 

need a hearing, but we’re going to do it anyway. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator KERRY. I really am pleased to have you here. 

I’m also very happy to welcome Deputy Secretary of Commerce, 

Sam Bodman, also from Massachusetts, and NOAA Administrator, 

Admiral Lautenbacher. We’re delighted to have you here, and 

thank you for taking time to be here in support of the nominee, 

which we note. 

Let me just say very quickly that we want to try to expedite the 

hearing and that Senator Gregg has a pressing commitment upstairs, so we’ll try to move along fast, but I don’t want to shortchange the importance of this job. 

NOAA really came into existence due to the great efforts of our 

Chairman of this Committee, Senator Hollings, in 1970, and its 

purpose was to protect life and property from natural hazards and 

2

also to help us understand the total environment and lead to intelligent use of our natural resources. 

There’s an annual appropriation of over $3 billion, which represents 60 percent of the budget of the Commerce Department—

12,000 employees. Many people, former secretaries, have come before us—and I think particularly of Ron Brown and Bill Daley and 

others in the past—they’re always shocked to learn that the Commerce Department has a Navy as well as this extraordinary responsibility. More than 30 percent of the gross domestic product of 

our country is generated in the coastal zone, and 40 percent of all 

the new commercial and residential development is along the coast. 

Predictions are that in about 20 years, 75 percent of all Americans are going to live in coastal areas, so we have an enormous 

burden on us, and the marine-related protection issues are huge. 

Even today I think it is as we sit here. 

A court case is regrettably going to be argued in the First District regarding fisheries. Senator Snowe and I would particularly 

wish that the councils would be able to manage these things. That 

was the purpose of our regime, but it isn’t happening properly. And 

last year we landed roughly—this is an extraordinary statistic—we 

landed 9 billion pounds of fish with a value of about $3.5 billion. 

And I’m pleased to say that New Bedford has returned to its status 

as the number-one fishing port, in terms of dockside revenues, with 

over $146 million in landings. 

But we also know that we have enormous risks to our oceans. 

The ecosystem is stressed. Many of the world’s greatest fisheries 

are over-fished. We have troubles in almost every one of our own 

fisheries surrounding the United States, from the salmon in the 

Northwest to the tuna to the Gulf of Mexico to the migratory species off the Atlantic coast and obviously, Georges Bank. Much of it 

is closed to fishing today, for proper purposes. 

But these are huge missions, Dr. Mahoney. And then on the outside, you have all of the weather prediction in which, I must say, 

NOAA does an extraordinary job. The predictions of hurricane 

Michelle were really rather remarkable. They were so accurate, 

even as it twisted and turned, giving people notice, which was important to saving life and property. 

So we value these services enormously, and we welcome your 

willingness to undertake this. And you come with, I must say, a 

terrific background and a terrific set of preparations for it. So we 

welcome the nomination. 

Let me ask if my colleague has any quick opening remarks. 

STATEMENT OF HON. RON WYDEN,

U.S. SENATOR FROM OREGON 

Senator WYDEN. I do, Mr. Chairman, and I thank you. I think 

you’ve summed it up very well, Mr. Chairman. 

And obviously in the Pacific Northwest, where we now have the 

highest unemployment rate in the country, we care tremendously 

about the issues that Senator Kerry has talked about. We have got 

to get the right number of fishers out there at the right time, catching the right number of fish to make this industry sustainable. 

Clearly, for states like Massachusetts and Oregon, this is a major 

3

jobs issue. At the same time, we want to make sure that we don’t 

shortchange science in the conservation issues that are so critical. 

As I told you yesterday in our meeting, Dr. Mahoney, I’m going 

to support your nomination here this morning. You were very 

forthright in our dealings yesterday. The people of the Northwest 

feel that they have been listened to on these issues. We’ve had 

scores of public meetings. This is a time for action. We want to see 

you work with Bill Hogarth, who has been very forthcoming in our 

region, in terms of working with us, and getting results. 

There are two specific issues that we want you to work on. The 

first is a question of the number of vessels that are out there. 

We’ve got to have a buy-back program that gets the right number 

of people at the right time, in effect, doing the things that are 

based on sound science. 

Second, we want you to follow up on a promise that NMFS made 

to me personally and the people of our region to do something 

about this bycatch issue. We have seen action at the agency drag 

on and on. The resource is being wasted. 

There are pictures of huge numbers of fish coming as a result of 

inadvertent catch to the shore, and they’re being thrown away. 

They’re not going to food banks. It’s a waste of a resource. It is a 

real disgrace, and the agency has promised action on it, and it has 

not been forthcoming. 

Those are the two issues. And we appreciate the public meeting. 

We’re always anxious to have more. Now we want to get some results. 

Mr. Chairman, I thank you. 

Senator KERRY. Thank you very much, Senator Wyden. 

I’m particularly pleased Senator Gregg is here, actually, to hear 

both of these comments, because he has a critical role in the Congress as one of our chief appropriators. One of the most difficult aspects of resolving the protection of fisheries—and obviously, New 

Hampshire is a participant in this—is finding a sensible way to reduce the fishing effort. And we’ve tried to augment the buy-back 

program so we literally get people out of fishing. Other countries 

are doing that to smart avail, and I think it’s something we really 

need to think about expanding the program. There’s just too much 

money chasing too few fish, and we need to have a balance in it, 

and that seems like an equitable way to reduce people who’ve been 

at it for generations but who are prepared, perhaps, to sell their 

equity in it. 

Senator Gregg, thank you for taking time to be here, and we look 

forward to your introduction. 

STATEMENT OF HON. JUDD GREGG,

U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE 

Senator GREGG. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Senator Wyden. 

It’s a pleasure to be here today and join the Committee in welcoming Dr. Jim Mahoney, who is being put forward for the NOAA 

position. 

As the Chairman has reflected, NOAA is a critical agency. 

I consider it to be one of the true jewels of the federal government in that it is a science agency that does extraordinary work 

and is on the cutting edge of science that is critical to us as a naVerDate Apr 24 2002 13:47 Aug 06, 2003 Jkt 087604 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\87604.TXT SCOM1 PsN: CAROLT
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tion and our survival, not only economically, but internationally 

and in a lot of strategic ways. And, of course, it’s critical to the protection of the American people because it does warn us when tornados are coming and where hurricanes are going to hit. And it 

does a great job. 

I have had the good fortune to be serving on the Subcommittee 

on Appropriations, and be Chairman of that Committee and now 

Ranking Member on it, which has jurisdiction over NOAA. The 

Senate has always been an aggressive supporter of NOAA, as the 

Chairman of this Committee has been. Not only the Chairman of 

the subcommittee, but the Chairman of the Full Committee have 

been key players in making that sure that NOAA receives the 

funding support it needs. It’s something that we take great pride 

in in our Subcommittee on Appropriations. 

And the successes of NOAA will continue if it continues to attract people like Dr. Mahoney. I’ve gotten to know Dr. Mahoney on 

a personal level. He lived across the street, actually, in our home 

down here. And it’s wonderful to see Taya and Caitlin and 

Courtney here, who are great enthusiasts and who we enjoyed as 

neighbors. Unfortunately, they moved away just a little while ago, 

but they brought a lot of life and excitement to our street. I can 

tell you the twins are special kids, and the parents are, too. 

And as a result of getting to know the Mahoneys personally, I 

can say, without any sort of qualification, that he will be an extraordinary asset to the government. The fact that he’s decided to 

rejoin the government, I think, is a great plus to us as a government. He has a tremendous background. 

The fact that a lot of his knowledge and base and experience 

comes from Massachusetts is only an extra plus. 

Having an MIT degree in meteorology and being past President 

of the American Society of Meteorology and then teaching at Harvard for a number of years—I think almost 20 years, he also has 

an expertise in the private sector. He appreciates the needs of the 

private sector as they integrate with the scientific community. And 

that’s very important in this agency, because there is so much overlap. 

From my viewpoint, as I say, we are fortunate to have people 

like this who are willing to go back into public service, people like 

Dr. Mahoney. That’s our good fortune. 

So I come here today to endorse him with absolute enthusiasm. 

I know he’ll be a tremendous addition to NOAA, and I look forward 

to working with him in the appropriating process to make sure that 

NOAA receives the support it needs in order to continue to do its 

mission which is so critical for our country. 

I thank for the Chairman for your courtesy in allowing me to 

proceed. 

Senator KERRY. Thank you very much, Senator Gregg. I’m confident that all the interested parties in this area will be even more 

delighted to know that since you’re on the Appropriations Committee, this special personal relationship will do well for the agency. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator GREGG. Absolutely. 

5

Senator KERRY. I know you need to get upstairs, so we really 

thank you for taking the time to be here. Thanks a lot. 

Senator GREGG. You bet. 

Senator KERRY. Dr. Mahoney, we look forward to your opening 

comments and to spending some time with you. 

Let me just say to everybody we do have a hearing coming on 

at the conclusion of this nomination hearing on the important subject of CAFE standards, so we’re going to try to expedite this as 

rapidly as we can, and I’m sure you won’t object to that. 

STATEMENT OF DR. JAMES R. MAHONEY, NOMINEE TO BE

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR OCEANS AND 

ATMOSPHERE AND DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION 

Dr. MAHONEY. Not a bit, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, and thank 

Senator Wyden also for your gracious comments at the outset and 

the—well, I guess he’s now out of the room. I obviously appreciate 

Senator Gregg’s strong support, as well. 

I think I want to simply return the note that we have been tremendously impressed with Senator Gregg and his wife, Kathy, not 

only in terms of his official capacity, but just as great people whom 

we have gotten to know as good friends. 

And I think it makes the best kind of circumstance that the 

friendship doesn’t mean special privilege; it means special challenge to try to do your job even better because people expect a lot 

of you in that case. And that’s the sense in which I would draw on 

that friendship. 

I will be quick and will try to parse my statement so that we can 

save a little bit of time for other comments and questions, as well. 

I would note, with the long Massachusetts and New England tie 

which has been noted here, one, I’m very pleased and proud about, 

I have also spent a substantial part of my life living on the other 

coast—not in Oregon, Senator Wyden, but in California during periods of work at different times. So I think between both an East 

Coast and a West Coast experience for a long time with a great exposure to the coastal problems as well as a lot of international experience, hopefully what I would bring to NOAA will be a sensitivity to the very kind of things that both of you have just raised 

in your opening comments, as well. 

I’ll now highlight some of the matters in my opening statement 

which expresses some things I feel very strongly about. I first want 

to thank you for hearing me here today and for the courtesy of having this hearing at the time immediately after you’ve come back 

from recess. And I want to acknowledge that I am prepared—if you 

all decide, and the full Senate does, to confirm my appointment—

to begin immediately and to work with Admiral Lautenbacher here 

and with Deputy Secretary Bodman and Secretary Evans, promptly 

getting going on these issues. And I want to acknowledge their 

strong support and encouragement during the long process that a 

nominee goes through before he or she comes to this point. 

A quick biographical background. I was born in Syracuse, New 

York, so I’m familiar with snow in the upstate area, too, and I was 

a hometown college student. I had a great undergraduate education 

at LeMoyne College in Syracuse. I’ve just finished serving the maxVerDate Apr 24 2002 13:47 Aug 06, 2003 Jkt 087604 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\87604.TXT SCOM1 PsN: CAROLT
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imum of three terms on its board of trustees, as a matter of fact. 

And then I went down to MIT for graduate school in meteorology 

following my undergraduate experience. 

In my whole career after college, where I was a physics major, 

and beginning with the MIT meteorology experience, I’ve now had 

40-years-plus working always in earth and environmental sciences 

on public health and public benefit issues. So I’d like to believe 

that I bring substantial experience on a number of NOAA issues 

as well as a strong sensitivity to the public mission of all of government, but in particular the service agencies, such as NOAA’s. And 

I want to note that in my background. 

Based on my experience on the Harvard faculty, I was co-founder 

of one of the nation’s early new-generation environmental firms. In 

1968, three of us organized a firm that we then called Environmental Research and Technology, Incorporated, and it was based 

out of the Harvard MIT complex. 

I might note that the great counselor—and for many, many 

years, the strongest director of that enterprise—was Deputy Secretary Bodman, here in the room, as well. So we had the benefit 

of his great technical and business leadership while we built that 

business. 

It’s worth noting, with the NOAA tie to my meteorological background, we went after some of the air pollution and related atmospheric problems. And a quarter century ago, by the mid-1970s, our 

firm, ERT, was the largest employer of meteorologists outside of 

the federal government itself, in NOAA, in that period. 

All of that experience with our firm represented a great grounding for me in dealing with issues of management of technical enterprises. The technical mind needs encouragement, challenge, direction, and discipline in many cases, but it needs most of all a sense 

of mission and vision in supporting good work, and I felt I learned 

that with our own business. I spent some years as a senior executive at the Bechtel Group based in San Francisco and also with 

International Technology Corporation based in Los Angeles initially and then back here in the Washington area. And that theme 

of good, button-down management, but management that respects 

the importance of the technical and professional inputs, is something that I’d like to believe that I’ve been very much acculturated 

to. 

I came into public service in the late 1980s as the Director of the 

National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, then called 

NAPAP. With the great focus on acid rain emerging out of the 

1970s and with, very much, the emphasis of the Chairman, I’m 

well aware, you all in Congress in 1979, passed the Energy Security Act that set out a 10-year program in something that I’ve always thought of as an attempt at good government to say, ‘‘Let’s 

get the answers and understand everything, from the technology to 

the sources of acid rain and the effects and what to do about it,’’

understanding that this problem is wrapped together with a fundamental energy security and economic security issues. 

During the final years of that program, while I was director, we 

dealt with organizing the work of 2,000 people who worked on that 

during the decade—over a thousand in the last years. We published a major encyclopedic compendium of all of the information 

7

on acid rain, which I think has stood the test of time since that 

era. Science goes on, so there’s much more that we’ve learned since 

then, but I think it was very well regarded. And, of course, we 

played a major role in the development of the Clean Air Act 

amendments of 1990. 

I cite that experience a little bit more specifically here because 

many of the lessons learned with the acid rain program are quite 

directly relevant to the global climate change issues today. That is, 

we recognize that there is a great body of science, and we need to 

look at the science and related technology options carefully. We 

have to understand that there will always be uncertainty in that 

science. And this is not meant to be a surrogate for a political 

statement about uncertainty, it’s just a fact which needs to be 

looked at in its own right. And then there is, of course, the great 

concern about energy and economic issues. 

The lesson that I learned out of the acid-rain experience, and it 

colors my own thinking about global climate a great deal, is that 

it’s very important to have a cogent plan which recognizes the facts 

and uncertainties of science and technology, which clearly states 

the energy and economic security issues and recognizes some 

things are ultimately political and policy decisions, but they must 

be informed by our best science, and we can help that process by 

carefully documenting what we’re questioning and how we go about 

it. 

So I’d offer that as a suggestion about what I would, and just out 

of personal experience, to try to help bring my contribution to the 

public sector. 

Wrapping up quickly, I’ve had the benefit of substantial experience outside of the United States. I have had some work experience 

in slightly over 50 nations around the world. And this goes from 

everything from negotiating and then overseeing, as a board member, technical joint-venture companies in many places in the world 

as well as roles as advisor to a number of international agencies 

and a number of governments, especially in developing countries. 

And a great formative experience for me, again, has been dealing 

with issues of first-generation environmental management in many 

developing circumstances in the world, including a 15-year relationship in Saudi Arabia where I was advisor to government. And 

these experiences often dealt with the resource issues, including 

fishery and agriculture and sustainability issues as well as the 

somewhat core issues in the atmospheric sciences and pollution 

that I dealt with more directly. 

I have had the honor of serving on several committees of the National Academy of Sciences since back in the 1970s. I recently completed a term as co-chairman of the Academy’s Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, so I’ve had the benefit of the rigor of 

the attempts at objectivity and good insight that the academy provides in its work over time. 

Coming, finally, to my viewed position at NOAA, I’m very committed to support Admiral Lautenbacher and appreciate, of course, 

his presence here today, and also to support Deputy Secretary 

Bodman, who has been a great overseer of NOAA during his year 

on the job already, and, of course, Secretary Evans, as well. 

8

In all of these matters that face NOAA, I have a very high regard for the excellent staff, both professional and scientific, and administrative staff of NOAA, and I feel that what I should best do 

is to work with Admiral Lautenbacher, as I know he is already 

doing, to build on strength and attempt to enhance the careers of 

those working at NOAA and to enhance the delivery of the NOAA 

skills and service to the Committee, to the Congress altogether, 

and to the public. 

So I pledge my strong support to you in this Committee, obviously to the whole Senate and the House, and clearly to the Executive Branch in filling those missions. 

I close simply by thanking many here sitting behind me, as I 

note at the end of my statement. My wife, Taya, who’s here, I 

wrote, and I really mean, has provided me with continuing love 

and support for my work over a great, long time. I have the great 

good fortune of six adult children, all of whom are married and off 

on their own careers. And we have 11 grandchildren, almost all 

Massachusetts-based. And also the light of our lives these days, 

and bringing us great joy, are our twin daughters, Caitlin and 

Courtney, who are just coming up to their 5th birthday, who are 

here behind me, too. So they keep me young in my work. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and all, for hearing me out on this. 

[The prepared statement and biographical information of Dr. 

Mahoney follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF DR. JAMES R. MAHONEY

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am pleased to come before you 

today regarding my nomination for Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 

Atmosphere. I am honored that the President has chosen me for this position, and 

I am very grateful for the continuous encouragement and support of Secretary 

Evans, Deputy Secretary Bodman and Admiral Lautenbacher, who will be my supervisors in this position. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to appear 

before you at this early time immediately after your return from recess. If confirmed 

by the Senate, I will take up my position at the earliest possible date. 

I was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, and I received an outstanding undergraduate education, majoring in physics, at LeMoyne College in my home town. 

My career has involved over 40 years of continuous focus on the environmental and 

earth sciences, with a strong emphasis in the atmospheric, climate, hydrological and 

oceanographic areas. I have benefited from diverse work responsibilities in academic, corporate, government and international settings. I look forward to applying 

this experience in helping NOAA and the Commerce Department to address their 

critical national missions. 

I received a Ph.D. degree in meteorology from MIT, and then immediately joined 

the Faculty of Public Health at Harvard University, in its Department of Environmental Health Sciences. This early career focus on public health and the environment set me on a course of responsible environmental management that has influenced all of my professional work. 

Drawing upon my Harvard experience, I was co-founder of an environmental management company, then known as Environmental Research & Technology, Inc. 

(ERT) which grew to become the nation’s largest environmental firm by the end of 

the 1970s, operating throughout the United States and several other nations. By 

1975, ERT had became the largest employer of meteorologists and related technical 

specialists in the United States, except for the federal government itself. My experience with ERT provided great lessons on the management of a large technical organization. This experience was later enhanced during my service as a senior executive at the Bechtel Group in San Francisco and International Technology Corporation in Los Angeles and Washington. 

I came into public service as Director of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP), working in the Executive Office of the President from 1988 

through early 1991. NAPAP was a unique 10-year program created by the Energy 

Security Act of 1979, and charged with recommending sound approaches to controlVerDate Apr 24 2002 13:47 Aug 06, 2003 Jkt 087604 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\87604.TXT SCOM1 PsN: CAROLT
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ling acid rain effects, while providing for continued energy and economic security 

for the nation. My service as NAPAP Director included the completion of the 10-

year program involving the work of more than 2,000 technical and economic specialists; the publication of a major, internationally reviewed acid rain compendium; and 

extensive issue analyses supporting the development of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. My NAPAP experience is particularly relevant to today’s global climate change issues: complex scientific and technological questions, intertwined with 

substantial energy and economic security issues, are best addressed in a comprehensive fashion, preferably with a well-defined assessment plan that incorporates all of 

the principal issues under consideration. 

In addition to my experience in the United States, I have worked in more than 

fifty other nations in several different roles: negotiating and overseeing international joint venture technical companies, representing the U.S. Government in 

specialist exchanges, advising government agencies on sustainable industry, fishery 

and agricultural practices (particularly in developing nations), and advising several 

United Nations and other international agencies. 

I am a Fellow and former President of the 12,000-member American Meteorological Society, which serves the atmospheric, oceanographic and hydrological fields. I 

am gratified that during my term as President (beginning in 1990) the AMS undertook to expand its service to American and international society. As a result of a 

strategic review conducted during my term as President, AMS committed to a longterm program of support for science education at all levels, encouragement of technical careers for minority students, and the application of sound science to complex 

public issues including disaster preparedness, environmental protection and global 

climate change, among others. 

I have been honored to serve on several committees of the National Academy of 

Sciences dealing with weather and climate, environmental protection and science 

education, beginning in the early 1970s. In 1999, I completed a term as Co-Chairman of the Academy’s Board on Atmospheric Science and Climate. 

I am committed to supporting Admiral Lautenbacher in assisting NOAA with its 

highly important missions aimed at understanding, protecting and enhancing our 

ocean, coastal, fishery, atmospheric and climate resources. NOAA has the benefit of 

a large number of highly skilled scientific, technical and administrative personnel, 

and I shall do all I can to help ‘‘build on strength’’ to enhance the careers of all 

NOAA personnel, and to further improve NOAA’s service to the nation and the 

world. 

Should I have the privilege of your endorsement and confirmation by the Senate, 

I pledge my continuous best efforts to serve the President, the Secretary of Commerce and the entire NOAA team. I also pledge my full responsiveness to members 

and staff of this Committee, as well as to the entire Senate and House of Representatives. 

I want to acknowledge and thank my wife Taya Mahoney who provides continuing 

love and support for my work; my six adult children, their spouses and our 11 

grandchildren who give meaning to our family life; and, not the least, our 5-yearold twin daughters who bring us joy every day. 

Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you today. 

A. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

1. Name: James Richard Mahoney, Nickname: Jim. 

2. Position to which nominated: Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere 

and Deputy Administrator of NOAA. 

3. Date of nomination: December 4, 2001. 

3. Address: Residence: (Information not released to the public). Office: Same address as above (I currently work as an environmental management consultant from 

an office in a wing of my home.) 

5. Date and place of birth: September 19, 1938, in Syracuse, New York. 

6. Marital status: Married to Taya Haugland Mahoney, formerly Taya Theresa 

Haugland, since May 26, 1990. 

7. Names and ages of children: Deborah Mahoney Briggs, 40; James Arthur 

Mahoney, 39; Robert Patrick Mahoney, 37; Peter Scott Mahoney, 36; David Joseph 

Mahoney, 35; Paul Richard Mahoney, 33; Caitlin Tess Mahoney, 43⁄4; Courtney Mae 

Mahoney, 43⁄4 (identical twin). 

8. Education: Secondary School: Christian Brothers Academy, Syracuse, NY, Attended from 9/51 to 6/55, Awarded College Entrance degree in 6/55. College: 

LeMoyne College, Syracuse, NY, Attended from 9/55 to 6/59, Awarded B.S. Degree 

in Physics in 6/59; Graduate School: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CamVerDate Apr 24 2002 13:47 Aug 06, 2003 Jkt 087604 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\87604.TXT SCOM1 PsN: CAROLT
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bridge, MA. Attended 9/59 to 12/65, with breaks for technical work in NY and CA 

in 1960, 1961 and 1962, Awarded Ph.D. Degree in Meteorology in 6/66. 

9. Employment record: Graduate student and research assistant, MIT, Cambridge, 

MA, 9/59 to 12/65, except for the breaks noted in next two items below. Research 

Staff Associate, General Electric Company, Defense Systems Department, Syracuse, 

NY, 6/60 to 9/60 and 6/61 to 9/61; Research Staff Associate, Space Technology Laboratories, Inc., Redondo Beach, CA, 6/62 to 9/62; Research Assistant, Harvard University, School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, 

Boston, MA, 1/66 to 6/66; Assistant Professor of Applied Meteorology, Harvard University, School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, 

Boston, MA, 7/66 to 6/71; Associate Professor of Applied Meteorology, Harvard University, School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, 

Boston, MA, 7/71 to 6/74; Co-founder, Senior Vice President and member of the 

Board of Directors, Environmental Research & Technology, Inc., Boston, Lexington 

and Concord, MA, 12/68 to 9/83. Part time with ERT and full time with Harvard 

University until 7/74. Full time with ERT thereafter; Expert Advisor on Environment and Energy, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, 

France, 5/70 to 9/70 (on leave from Harvard University and ERT); Environmental 

Management Consultant (independent practice), Boston, MA, 10/83 to 12/83; Manager, Environmental Industries Center, the Bechtel Group, Inc., San Francisco, 1/

84 to 1/87; Environmental Management Consultant (independent practice), 

Sausalito, CA, 2/87 to 12/87; Director, National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP), Executive Office of the President, Washington, DC, 11/88 to 12/90. 

(Administratively—on NOAA payroll, and on assignment to EOP.); Senior Vice 

President, International Technology Corporation, Inc. (The IT Group, Inc. after 

1998), Torrance, CA, 1/91 to 9/97 and Washington, DC, 10/97 to 7/99; Environmental 

management consultant (independent practice), McLean, VA, 8/99 to 6/01 and 

Ashburn, VA, 7/01 to present; 

10. Government experience: Principal Investigator of federally-sponsored environmental research projects while on the faculty at Harvard University, from 1968 to 

1974. EPA was principal sponsoring agency; Consultant on international state of 

practice on air pollution computer modeling, assigned by EPA and NOAA to represent United States practice at OECD in Paris, from 1969 to 1974; Member of the 

U.S.-USSR environmental specialist exchanges arranged during the 1972 NixonBrezhnev summit, at various U.S. and USSR locations, from 1973 to 1978; Consultant to EPA, as a member of a bilateral U.S.-Japan environmental exchange, Tokyo, 

1977; National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council (NAS/NRC) committee appointments as follows: Motor Vehicle Emission Controls Committee member, 1973 to 1975; Environmental Manpower and Education Committee member, 

1978 to 1979; Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate co-chairman, 1997 to 

1999; Air Quality Management in the United States Committee member, 2001 to 

present; Member of the Health Effects Research Advisory Committee appointed by 

the Secretary of Energy, 1984 to 1989; Consultant to the EPA Science Advisory 

Board, 1992 to 1996; Member of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Environmental Security 

appointed by the Secretary of Defense, 1995 to 1998; Scientific peer reviewer for research grant proposals submitted to NOAA and EPA by prospective grantees at various times in the 1970s and 1980s; Advisor to the Office of the Governor of Massachusetts on the evaluation of state-level air pollution control strategies, 1968 to 

1970. 

11. Business relationships: Trustee of LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY (my undergraduate college), 1992 to 2001; Co-founder, Senior Vice President and Director 

of Environmental Research & Technology, Inc. (ERT) in Boston, Lexington and Concord, MA from 1968 to 1983; President of ERT International, Inc. (international 

business subsidiary of ERT), 1975 to 1983; Director of international joint venture 

companies created by ERT and in-country partner companies as follows: ICATEC, 

SA in Mexico City, 1978 to 1983; AMARTECH, LTD in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 1975 

to 1979; KISR-IT LTD in Kuwait, 1977 to 1979; Senior Vice President of International Technology Corporation (The IT Group, Inc. after 1998) in Torrance, CA 

and Washington, DC from 1991 to 1999; President of the Consulting and Ventures 

Group within the IT Group, Inc., Washington, DC, 1999; Director of domestic and 

international subsidiary and joint venture companies created by the IT Group, Inc., 

as follows: Gradient Corporation, subsidiary in Cambridge, MA, 1995 to 1999; 

LandBank, LLC, subsidiary in Denver, CO, 1995 to 1999; JSC Corporation, subsidiary in Roslyn, VA, 1998 to 1999; Chi Mei-IT Corporation, joint venture company 

in Taipei, Taiwan, 1997 to 1999; KOHAP-IT Corporation, joint venture company in 

Seoul, Korea, 1998 to 1999; Environmental and business consultant to the environmental insurance practice of Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman LLP, a law firm in 

Washington, DC, 2000 to present; Environmental advisor to the Southern AppaVerDate Apr 24 2002 13:47 Aug 06, 2003 Jkt 087604 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\87604.TXT SCOM1 PsN: CAROLT
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lachian Mountains Initiative, and ad hoc federal, state, NGO and corporate-sponsored environmental analysis and planning organization in Asheville, NC, 2001 to 

present; Environmental management consultant to a broad range of clients between 

1968 and the present. My practice has involved many agencies of the federal government, several international organizations, national and regional government units 

in many parts of the world, as well as corporations and industry associations 

throughout the United States. A representative list of the more than 100 client organizations for which I have provided professional services follows: U.S. Federal 

agencies including NOAA, U.S. EPA, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department 

of Defense, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of State Agency 

for International Development, International organizations including the World Meteorological Organization, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Program, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 

and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, national government environmental 

and planning ministries including the governments of Greece, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Finland, England, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong, Belgium, 

Denmark, Portugal, and the former Soviet Union, Business and commercial organizations including the Business Roundtable, the Edison Electric Institute, the American Forest Products Association, the Chemical Manufacturers Association, the Aluminum Association, the American Iron and Steel Institute, the National Association 

of Manufacturers, the Electric Power research Institute, and the American Petroleum Institute, Individual corporate clients of various sizes including (among others) 

the General Electric Company, the General Motors Corporation, USX Corporation, 

Westvaco Corporation, International Paper Corporation, DuPont Corporation, the 

Dow Corporation, American Electric Power Corporation, Tampa Electric Company, 

Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Procter & Gamble Company, the Shell Corporation, 

the Texaco Corporation, Boston Edison Company, Burlington Northern Railroad, 

Union Pacific Corporation, Yellow Freight Corporation, Fluor Corporation, Consolidated Electric Company of New York, Union Camp Corporation, and GPU Nuclear 

Corporation. 

12. Memberships: Citizens for the Boston Schools (civic betterment organization), 

Boston, member 1964 to 1970, President, 1968 to 1970; American Meteorological Society: member since 1966; member and chairman of the AMS Committee on Air Pollution Meteorology, 1971 to 1975; editor-in-chief of the Journal of Applied Meteorology, 1973 to 1975; member of the AMS governing council and executive committee, 

1976 to 1982; AMS President, 1990 to 1991; member of the AMS Planning Committee, 1994 to 1999; member of the AMS Investment Committee, 1995 to present; 

Member, Belmont Country Club, Ashburn, VA, 2001 to present; Air and Waste Management Association, member, 1985 to 1992. 

13. Political affiliations and activities: (a) List all offices with a political party 

which you have held or any public office for which you have been a candidate. None. 

(b) List all memberships and offices held in and services rendered to all political 

parties or election committees during the last 10 years. None, except for 2 days assisting in the November 2001 election campaign of my brother, Bernard J. Mahoney, 

who was the unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of Syracuse, NY. 

(c) Itemize all political contributions to any individual, campaign organization, political party, political action committee, or similar entity of $500 or more for the past 

10 years. None. 

14. Honors and awards: Valedictorian of my high school graduating class; BS degree awarded Magna cum Laude by LeMoyne College, and my rank was 2 out of 

400 in the graduating class; New York State Regents Scholarship for college support; Danforth Foundation Graduate Fellowship, supporting my attendance at MIT; 

National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, supporting my attendance at 

MIT; Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellowship to study at the University of Sydney, Australia. (Resigned after award, to accept the faculty position offered by Harvard University); Selected as a Bechtel Fellow (one of four worldwide) by the Bechtel Group 

in 1985; Elected President of the American Meteorological Society by the membership in 1989; Honored as Distinguished Alumnus by LeMoyne College in 1990; 

Elected Fellow of the AMS in 1990; Awarded the U.S. Commerce Department Gold 

Medal for exceptional service as a NOAA special appointee, while Director of the 

National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program in 1990; Recipient of the Cleveland 

Abbe Award of the AMS, recognizing unique contributions to the atmospheric 

sciences field, in 1998. 

15. Published writings: I have been author or co-author of approximately 20 papers in peer reviewed scientific journals and more that 200 other technical presentations and project reports, all in the fields of meteorological and environmental 

analysis. Except for a scientific book review published in 2001 (noted below) the 

most recent of my publications was in 1983, to the best of my recollection. After reVerDate Apr 24 2002 13:47 Aug 06, 2003 Jkt 087604 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\87604.TXT SCOM1 PsN: CAROLT
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locating several times in the past 18 years, I do not have a list of my publications 

from the 1966 to 1983 period. If the Committee requires this earlier information, 

I will attempt to reconstruct it from primary sources. 

Book review of ‘‘Crossing Borders, Crossing Boundaries: the Role of Scientists in 

the U.S. Acid Rain Debate’’ by Leslie R Alm. Review published in the Bulletin of 

the American Meteorological Society, Vol. 82, pp 490–492, 2001. Because the published review contains some of my thoughts on the roles of scientists in the evaluation of scientific issues important to the public, two copies are included for the Committee with this document. 

I am author of a chapter in one technical book, ‘‘Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials,’’ a standard industrial toxicology reference book published in approximately 1970 by Von Nordstrand, and edited by N. Irving Sax My chapter described methods to analyze the potential health risks of air pollutants in the vicinity 

of industrial facilities. 

14. Speeches: Attached are two copies of the text and overheads used with a 

speech on ‘‘The Opportunities and Challenges in Developing Green Industries for 

Hong Kong, the Pearl River Delta and Beyond, as Illustrated by Other International 

Environmental Management Programs’’, presented in a Hong Kong governmentsponsored seminar in Hong Kong in March 2000. 

I have made many other informal presentations during the past 5 years, but no 

other prepared, written speeches. 

17. Selection: Do you know why you were chosen for this nomination by the President? I have no specific knowledge, but see the following answer. 

(b) What do you believe in your background or employment experience affirmatively qualifies you for this particular appointment? I believe I am qualified for this 

appointment because I have the experience, commitment to public service, and energy level necessary to serve NOAA and the nation. Among my relevant background 

and experience I would cite the following: 

• Extensive and continuous experience with the meteorological, hydrological and 

oceanographic fields since graduate school in the 1960s. 

• Extensive experience with issues that combine environmental science and important public issues, such as acid rain, coastal zone management and global 

change. 

• Prior experience as Director of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP), for which I received the Commerce Department Gold Medal recognizing exceptional service. The NAPAP assessment experience is currently relevant 

for the scientific understanding of global change issues, including evaluation of 

causes, effects, mitigation and adaptation options, and long term strategy comparisons. 

• Long-term leadership within the community of the American Meteorological Society, that addresses the meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic sciences 

and their application. My AMS experience includes the position of elected President 

of the organization. 

• Extensive experience in the general management of large scientific and technical organizations, in both the government and private sectors. 

• Long experience in dealing with the multiple stakeholders involved in environmental management decisions, including frequent experience with public hearings 

and congressional testimony. . 

• Prior academic experience, on the faculty at Harvard University. 

B. FUTURE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIPS

1. Will you sever all connections with your present employers, business firms, 

business associations or business organizations if you are confirmed by the Senate? 

Yes. 

2. Do you have any plans, commitments or agreements to pursue outside employment, with or without compensation, during your service with the government? If 

so, explain. No. 

3. Do you have any plans, commitments or agreements after completing government service to resume employment, affiliation or practice with your previous employer, business firm, association or organization? No. 

4. Has anybody made a commitment to employ your services in any capacity after 

you leave government service? No. 

5. If confirmed, do you expect to serve out your full term or until the next Presidential election, whichever is applicable? Yes. 

13

C. POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

1. Describe all financial arrangements, deferred compensation agreements, and 

other continuing dealings with business associates, clients or customers. 

I have two deferred compensation agreements with my former employer, the IT 

Group, Inc., of Monroeville, Pennsylvania. These non-qualified plans developed by 

the corporation in accordance with IRS regulations. These are referred to as the ‘‘IT 

Deferred Compensation Plan’’ and the ‘‘IT 401K Restoration Plan’’ (note: this is not 

a 401K plan). Under these plans portions of my income were not paid currently, but 

were retained by the corporation for payment at a future date. When the plans were 

initiated, I made the election to receive the deferred funds over a 5-year period beginning on the third anniversary of my last date with the corporation. The date for 

payment initiation is August 21, 2002. The company credits deferred interest to the 

plan balance each year. Both plans have an IRS-approved option of a lump sum payout, subject to a 15 percent penalty, and current taxation on the entire lump sum. 

On December 3, 2001, I made application for the lump sum payout of both plans, 

because the corporation is at serious risk of bankruptcy. I may, or may not, receive 

funds in response to my request, because of the current financial state of the company. I have no control over the formula for crediting the interest earned or the payment schedule for these funds; these are fixed according to the contracts signed 

years ago. I have disclosed the details of these arrangements to the Ethics Counsel 

at the Commerce Department. 

I have a continuing professional consulting arrangement covering environmental 

and business matters with the Washington DC based law firm of Swidler Berlin 

Shereff Friedman, LLP. The arrangement establishes finders’ fees to be paid to me 

for arranging introductions that result in new client relationships for the law firm, 

in the area of environmental liability insurance recovery. I will terminate my relationship with the law firm before entering into my federal appointment, if confirmed. Under our agreement, one or more payments triggered by earlier introductions will be made to me at a future date(s) within approximately the next 2 years. 

The amount of such payments is established by a formula in our written agreement 

executed in May 2000; the formula is applied to the total amount of insurance recovery achieved in cases for which I am eligible for payment. I have disclosed this 

agreement in detail to the Commerce Department Ethics Counsel, and we have developed plans to assure that no conflict of interest will arise because of this arrangement. 

As part of my ongoing work with Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman, LLP, I have 

a fee sharing agreement with the firm of Renova Partners LLC of Boston, which 

is assisting me in my work for the law firm. I will terminate this arrangement before taking up my appointed position if confirmed. I have disclosed this arrangement 

to the Commerce Department Ethic Counsel. 

I have a continuing professional consulting relationship with the Southern Appalachian Mountains Initiative (SAMI), an ad-hoc environmental study organization 

supported by several federal and state agencies, as well other stakeholders in eight 

states in the southeastern United States. Under our agreement I am assisting SAMI 

in arranging scientific peer reviewers for SAMI’s final technical reports. I bill SAMI 

for my time charges and actual expenses. I will terminate this agreement before 

taking up my appointed position if confirmed. I have disclosed this agreement to the 

Commerce Department Ethics Counsel. 

I have been serving on a Committee on Air Quality Management in the United 

States, for the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. This is pro 

bono work. Actual expenses are reimbursed by the Academy, and there is no other 

compensation for services. I will resign from this Committee prior to taking up my 

appointment if confirmed. I will submit a statement to the Academy for one current 

expense amount, and there will be no other financial transactions after this one expense item is paid. I have disclosed this work to the Commerce Department Ethics 

Counsel. 

I serve on the Investment Committee of the American Meteorological Society, 

which is a not-for-profit scientific, professional and educational organization. I receive no fees or expense reimbursement for this pro bono work. I will resign from 

this committee before taking up my appointment if confirmed. I have disclosed this 

committee assignment to the Commerce Department Ethics Counsel. 

Except for the matters described above, I do not have any continuing dealings 

with business associates, clients or customers. 

2. Indicate any investments, obligations, liabilities, or other relationships which 

could involve potential conflicts of interest in the position to which you have been 

nominated. I have a stock investment in one company (Nokia Corporation) that 

slightly exceeds the reporting limit of $5,000. I have disclosed this to the Commerce 

14

Department Ethics Counsel, and have committed to a plan to avoid a conflict of interest in this case. 

The only financial liability that my wife and I have is a primary mortgage on our 

residence. I am not aware of any other investments, obligations, liabilities or other 

relationships which could involve a potential conflict of interest in the position to 

which I have been nominated. 

3. Describe any business relationship, dealing, or financial transaction which you 

have had during the last 10 years, whether for yourself on behalf of a client, or acting as an agent, that could in any way constitute or result in a possible conflict of 

interest in the position to which you have been nominated. Other than the arrangements described in my response to the previous question, I do not believe that I 

have had any other business relationship, dealing or financial transaction during 

the last 10 years, that would in any way result in a possible conflict of interest in 

the position to which I have been nominated. 

4. Describe any activity during the past 10 years in which you have engaged for 

the purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the passage, defeat or modification 

of any legislation or affecting the administration and execution of law or public policy. I have not engaged in any such activities during the past 10 years. 

4. Explain how you will resolve any potential conflict of interest, including any 

that may be disclosed by your responses to the above items. (Please provide a copy 

of any trust or other agreements.) A copy of the Ethics Agreement I have completed 

with Barbara S. Fredericks, Assistant General Counsel for Administration of the 

Commerce Department, with a copy to Commerce Secretary Evans, is attached. 

6. Do you agree to have written opinions provided to the Committee by the designated agency ethics officer of the agency to which you are nominated and by the 

Office of Government Ethics concerning potential conflicts of interest or any legal 

impediments to your serving in this position? Yes. 

D. LEGAL MATTERS

1. Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics for unprofessional 

conduct by, or been the subject of a compliant to any court, administrative agency, 

professional association, disciplinary committee, or other professional group? If so, 

provide details. No. 

2. Have you ever been investigated, arrested, charged or held by any federal, 

state, or other law enforcement authority for violation of any federal; state, county, 

or municipal law, regulation or ordinance, other than a minor traffic offense? If so, 

provide details. No. 

3. Have you or any business of which you are or were an officer ever been involved as a party in interest in an administrative agency proceeding or civil litigation? If so, provide details. The IT Group, Inc, for which I was Senior Vice President 

from 1991 to 1999, is a large environmental service and infrastructure project firm, 

with revenues exceeding $1 billion per year, and operations throughout the United 

States and overseas. In the normal course of business the company is involved in 

several matters of civil litigation each year. None of these matters were in the area 

of my direct responsibility during my years with the firm. 

I am not aware of any civil litigation matters in which I have been a party at 

interest, except for a court approval of a negotiated divorce settlement of my first 

marriage, finalized in 1989. 

4. Have you ever been convicted (including pleas of guilty or nolo contendere) of 

any criminal violation other than a minor traffic offense? No. 

5. Please advise the Committee of any additional information, favorable or unfavorable, which you feel should be considered in connection with your nomination. 

I am not aware of any other information, favorable or unfavorable, that the Committee should consider to be relevant to consideration of my nomination. 

E. RELATIONSHIP WITH COMMMITTEE

1. Will you ensure that your department/agency complies with deadlines set by 

congressional committees for information? Yes. 

2. Will you ensure that your department/agency does whatever it can to protect 

congressional witnesses and whistleblowers from reprisal for their testimony and 

disclosures? Yes. 

3. Will you cooperate in providing the committee with requested witnesses, to include technical experts and career employees with firsthand knowledge of matters 

of interest to the committee? Yes. 

4. Please explain how you will review regulations issued by your department/

agency, and work closely with Congress, to ensure that such regulations comply 

with the spirit of the laws passed by Congress. I will assure that I receive effective. 

15

briefings on the legislative history for the provisions of federal law that drive the 

regulations and procedures that NOAA is charged to implement. I will supplement 

these briefings with my own inquiries to other interested parties where appropriate. 

I will proactively seek counsel from Senate and House committee members and their 

staff on the issues related to their oversight or special interests, on a continuing 

basis. I will ask the Commerce Department and NOAA legal and legislative affairs 

personnel to keep me briefed on the background of each important issue, and the 

obligations that each such issue imposes upon NOAA. 

5. Describe your department/agency’s current mission, major programs, and major 

operational objectives. NOAA’s mission is to understand, describe and predict 

changes in the earth’s environment, and to provide conservation and sound management of the nation’s coastal and marine resources. NOAA’s responsibilities are important to every citizen and resident in the United States, and to many of the nation’s most important sectors, including public safety and health, commerce, transportation, environmental and ecosystem protection, energy system reliability, and 

coastal and marine zone activities, among others. In addition, NOAA’s scientists and 

operational specialists, observation systems, laboratories, research vessels, aircraft 

and satellites, computer resources, and communications systems have unique responsibilities to serve the United States and the global community in understanding 

significant global change issues. Prudent management of our global environment 

must begin with the best-possible science, measurement systems and forecasting resources that are the core assets of NOAA. 

NOAA’s major programs respond to its mission responsibilities. These programs 

include: 

• Advancing short-term weather forecasting with emphasis on continuous improvements in the warnings and advisories associated with severe storm events. 

• Improving seasonal and year-to-year weather and climate forecasting capabilities, providing better earth system understanding and direct benefits for the energy, 

agricultural, water resource management and transportation sectors, among others. 

• Improving climate change understanding, on the time scale of 10 to 100 years, 

critically important to the development of optimal approaches to the global management of climate change risks. 

• Enhancing safe navigation capabilities, to promote transport system safety, and 

to be prepared to support the next generation of advances in navigation technology 

for surface, free ocean, coastal zone, and airborne vessels. 

• Building sustainable fisheries, by a program of measurements, population analyses, and improved understanding of natural and man-made variability in commercially important fish populations—and by developing management guidelines that 

enhance sustainability. 

• Recovering protected species that are significantly threatened in estuaries, 

coastal zones and ocean environments, by resource management, supported with increases in aquatic and mammalian ecosystem understanding. 

• Sustaining healthy coastal ecosystems, by research, observation and resource 

management approaches that address the natural and man-made stresses on irreplaceable coastal resources. 

6. Are you willing to appear and testify before any duly constituted committee of 

the Congress on such occasions as you may be reasonably requested to do so? Yes. 

F. GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS AND VIEWS

1. How have your previous professional experience and education qualifies you for 

the position for which you have been nominated? Beginning with my entry into the 

graduate meteorology and oceanography program at MIT in 1959, I have had 42 

years of continuous experience in several of the core elements of NOAA’s mission. 

My career has benefited from diverse experiences in many settings: 

• Research scientist focusing on atmospheric, coastal and marine sciences, 

• University professor in a public health faculty, ‘‘growing up’’ with the environmental management issues emerging around the world, 

• Technical business entrepreneur who co-founded the first large scope environmental management practice extending throughout the nation and overseas, 

• Frequent environmental advisor to agencies of the U.S. Government, as well as 

international agencies and foreign governments, 

• Frequent testimony before Congress both as a federal appointee and as a nongovernment specialist, 

• Prior federal service as the Director of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, 

• Decades-long involvement with the American Meteorological Society which 

counts a sizable percentage of the NOAA staff as members, including election as 

16

AMS President by the membership, general management of large, multi-location 

technical organizations as an executive of the Bechtel Group and the IT Group, • Substantial experience with planning, budgeting, operational and financial controls, human resource issues, and career enhancement for large groups of personnel, 

and • Substantial experience with multi-stakeholder communications as related to environmental planning and decisionmaking. 

2. Why do you wish to serve in the position for which you have been nominated? 

All of my environmental management experience has involved working at the interfaces of multiple stakeholders: government, industry, environmental groups, community members, and technical experts. Public health and the public good are at the 

core of this type of environmental management practice. 

My prior experience in a key federal position, and my long career experience 

working at the public-private interface, has confirmed my fundamental desire to use 

my training and skills for a public purpose. I am highly motivated to make a useful 

contribution working with the excellent scientific, operational and administrative 

staff at NOAA. 

3. What goals have you established for your first 2 years in this position, if confirmed? • General: working with the direction of the new Administrator Admiral 

Lautenbacher, to build on NOAA’s strengths of personnel, technology, operational 

systems, and institutional experience to further enhance NOAA’s effectiveness in assessing, forecasting and helping to guide the protection of the global environment. 

I believe the best method to honor NOAA’s legacy of long accomplishment is to build 

on it, by embracing opportunities for change that enhance NOAA’s service to all of 

its stakeholders. • Near term (within the first 6 months or less): to become fully familiar with 

NOAA’s resources, opportunities and constraints, in order to be fully effective in assisting Admiral Lautenbacher and the entire NOAA management in communicating 

NOAA’s vision of enhanced services to its many stakeholders. • Throughout my period of service: to help make NOAA a ‘‘great place to work’’ for scientists, operations personnel and administrators, so that NOAA is able to attract its full share of ‘‘the best and the brightest’’ to serve its longterm mission of 

global environmental understanding, forecasting and management. • Continuously: to enhance NOAA’s communication with all of its stakeholders, 

so that its service effectiveness is continuously enhanced. 

4. What skills do you believe you may be lacking which may be necessary to successfully carry out this position? What steps can be taken to obtain those skills? 

My knowledge of a number of NOAA’s capabilities and programs is very limited, 

so I will proactively seek briefings from, and regular contact with, those NOAA associates at all levels whose work should be recognized, and from whom I can learn. 

5. Who are the stakeholders in the work of this agency? 

• The entire public, who are the users of NOAA information, forecasts, safety 

advisories, and environmental management guidance. 

• The taxpayers, who pay the costs for NOAA operations. 

• The Senate and the House of Representatives (in particular the oversight committees and other members with specific interests in NOAA operations), on behalf 

of the public and the taxpayers. 

• NOAA’s supervisors in the Executive Branch, and the many federal agencies 

that collaborate with NOAA. 

• NOAA’s employees, who seek rewarding careers in return for committed work 

performance. 

• The private sector organizations, non-profit organizations, news media, research 

groups, universities and school systems, that use and disseminate NOAA-developed 

information, thereby multiplying the effectiveness of NOAA’s activities. 

• The international environmental management community (including governments, international organizations, non-government organizations, private sector organizations, and educational and research organizations) that collaborate with 

NOAA, and use NOAA-developed information. 

• The communities that host NOAA facilities and NOAA staff. 

6. What is the proper relationship between your position, if confirmed, and the 

stakeholders identified in question No. 5. 

If confirmed, my responsibility is to assist NOAA Administrator Admiral 

Lautenbacher, and the entire NOAA management and staff, in serving the needs 

of the NOAA stakeholders. This responsibility includes a continuous commitment to 

excellence in performance, efficient use of taxpayer-supplied funds, openness to 

changes that will enhance NOAA’s mission, and honest communication with NOAA 

staff and external stakeholders. 

17

7. The Chief Financial Officers Act requires all government departments and 

agencies to develop sound financial management practices similar to those practiced 

in the private sector. (a) What do you believe are your responsibilities, if confirmed, 

to ensure that your agency has proper management and accounting controls? 

Proper management and accounting controls are the essential underpinning for 

all of NOAA’s activities. Much of my career has involved executive management of 

large, private sector technical service organizations, and this experience has caused 

me to be committed to highly effective management controls as the sine qua non

condition for organizational operation. 

(b) What experience do you have in managing a large organization? 

• Fifteen years in developing a major private-sector environmental service organization from startup to national and international scope, with direct supervisory responsibilities for up to a few hundred staff. • Four years in executive management at the Bechtel Group, with direct supervisory responsibilities for up to a few hundred staff. • Three years as Director of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, 

with highly demanding stakeholders focused on a group of complicated public issues, 

and approximately 1,200 government employee and contractor staff working on 

preparation of the NAPAP assessment products. I was awarded the U.S. Commerce 

Department Gold Medal for exceptional performance as NAPAP Director in 1990. • Eight years experience as Senior Vice President of the IT Group, Inc., with executive management responsibility (profit and loss responsibility) for major elements 

of this $1+ billion annual revenue company, involving supervision of up to 2,500 

staff. 

8. The government Performance and Results Act requires all government departments and agencies to identify measurable performance goals and to report to Congress on their success in achieving these goals. (a) Please discuss what you believe 

to be the benefits of identifying performance goals and reporting on your progress 

in achieving those goals. 

The definition of measurable individual and group performance goals, and the 

scheduled reporting of progress in achieving these goals, is essential for the efficient 

management of NOAA. Defined goals and written evaluations of progress in achieving the goals are important tools of management communication that foster individual and group effectiveness, and that provide the basis for career advancement 

opportunities for all staff. 

(b) What steps should Congress consider taking when an agency fails to achieve 

its performance goals? Should these steps include the elimination, privatization, 

downsizing or consolidation of departments and/or programs? 

In the case of failure to meet agency performance goals, Congress might first examine whether the goals were realistic and well communicated, and whether any 

external influences seriously impeded attainment of the goals. If these inquiries do 

not indicate specific problems, then Congress should examine a full range of options 

to improve performance, while assuring that essential public needs are being met. 

(c) What performance goals do you believe should be applicable to your personal 

performance, if confirmed? 

I believe that it is premature to establish meaningful performance goals until I 

have a better understanding of the issues, priorities, opportunities and constraints 

facing NOAA. If confirmed, I would prepare written goals and performance measures within three months of taking up my new appointment. 

9. Please describe your philosophy of supervisor/employee relationships. Generally, what supervisory model do you follow? Have any employee complaints been 

brought against you? I strongly believe in open and honest communication between 

supervisors and employees at all levels. I believe that supervisors should take the 

initiative to provide employees with as much information as appropriate about the 

context for policies, directives and specific decisions. NOAA has a highly educated 

and motivated staff, and this openness is particularly important for fostering the 

level of cooperation and initiative-taking that is essential for excellent group performance. Fairness and objectivity is important in all cases, and all staff must feel 

that their career advancement will be related to their performance rather than to 

non-relevant factors. 

I am not aware of any employee complaints being brought against me. I am motivated to continue my long record as a highly regarded supervisor and mentor with 

large numbers of technical and administrative staff for whom I have been supervisor 

over many years. 

10. Describe your working relationship, if any, with the Congress. Does your professional experience include working with committees of Congress? If yes, please describe. I have had various points of contact with the Congress during the past 25 

years. In the mid-1970s, I was retained as a technical specialist by a number of 

18

nationalscope industrial and commercial organizations, with responsibility for scientific analysis of various environmental legislative proposals being considered by 

the Congress. I presented my findings in approximately ten appearances before Senate and House subcommittees, and in several briefings for committee members and 

staff. This experience taught me the crucial lesson that scientific analysis of environmental issues can be credible only if it objective and free of advocacy for a predetermined position. 

During my service as NAPAP Director I was also invited to testify before subcommittees of both the Senate and the House approximately 10 times, and I was 

frequently required to answer questions communicated by interested members of 

both houses. 

11. Please explain what you believe to be the proper relationship between yourself, if confirmed, and the Inspector General of your department/agency. The Inspector General has an essential role in every federal agency. My responsibility is to be 

directly responsive to any requests by the Inspector General for meetings or other 

communications, to fully evaluate and act upon information brought to my attention 

by the Inspector General, and to foster a culture of high integrity performance by 

all NOAA staff. 

12. Please explain how you will work with this Committee and other stakeholders 

to ensure that regulations issued by your department/agency comply with the spirit 

of the laws passed by Congress. I will assure that I receive effective briefings on 

the legislative history for the provisions of federal law that drive the regulations 

and procedures that NOAA is charged to implement. I will supplement these briefings with my own inquiries to other interested parties where appropriate, and I will 

encourage NOAA’s receipt of communication from all stakeholders interested in an 

issue. I will proactively seek counsel from Senate and House committee members 

and their staff on the issues related to their oversight or special interests, on a continuing basis. I will ask the Commerce Department and NOAA legal and legislative 

affairs personnel to keep me briefed on the background of each important issue, and 

the obligations that each such issue imposes upon NOAA. 

13. In the areas under the department/agency’s jurisdiction, what legislative action(s) should Congress consider as priorities? Please state your personal views. 

With the exception of one matter described below, I do not believe that I currently 

have the information necessary to provide Congress with meaningful recommendations about priority legislative actions affecting NOAA’s mission. I would be prepared to present my views within 3 months of taking up my new appointment if 

confirmed. 

I consider one matter to be so compelling that it is worthy of note at this time. 

It is my personal observation that federal government positions are not seen as a 

desirable long-term career choices by many of ‘‘the best and the brightest’’ scientific 

and technical personnel, especially recent university graduates and other early career individuals. This represents a degradation of opportunity for public service 

compared to the perspective I felt as a young scientist in the 1960s and 1970s. I 

would be honored to work with the Committee to address this question, which is 

critically important to assuring excellent environmental stewardship by the staff of 

NOAA and other federal science oriented agencies in the future. 

14. Within your area of control, will you pledge to develop and implement a system that allocates discretionary spending based on national priorities determined in 

an open fashion on a set of established criteria? If not, please state why. If yes, 

please state what steps you intend to take and a timeframe for their implementation. I am pleased to work under the direction of NOAA Administrator Admiral 

Lautenbacher, to develop and implement a system that allocates discretionary 

spending based on national priorities determined in an open fashion on a set of established criteria. I will fully support Admiral Lautenbacher in his objective to complete an internal review of NOAA organization and programs within three months, 

and developing and publishing implementation plans and priorities within the following three months.

Senator KERRY. Thank you very, very much, Dr. Mahoney. 

I appreciate your comments, and I think every Member of the 

Committee would agree that the description of the involvements 

that you’ve had could not more effectively prepare you for the task 

that you’re going to undertake here, so we certainly welcome that. 

Let me just ask some pro forma questions with respect to the 

nomination process. 

19

Is there any item or issue that the Committee should be aware 

of that might present you with any kind of conflict of interest in 

the performance of these duties? 

Dr. MAHONEY. Senator, no, nothing at all that I would think of. 

Senator KERRY. And in the course of the preparation for this, is 

there any holding or asset that you’ve had to divest of in order to 

put yourself in a position to perform these responsibilities without 

conflict? 

Dr. MAHONEY. No. I believe there’s one stock holding of a few 

thousand dollars note which caused me to—because it exceeded 

$5,000—classify it into a different category in reporting on the financial disclosure forms, but virtually all of my other assets are in 

home, broad-gauged mutual funds and other investments of that 

sort, so I have no particular holding which was a problem. 

Indeed, the one holding which, I’m happy to say is slightly up, 

at $6,000 or so, as I’ve already reported to the Office of Government Ethics, I’ll simply sell if that’s seen as a problem at all. 

Senator KERRY. So it sounds like you’re commending yourself 

also for your good judgment because you don’t hold Enron or KMart. 

[Laughter.] 

Dr. MAHONEY. I can report I’ve never owned either. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator KERRY. Doctor, let me ask you about the responsibilities 

of your position. Have you and the Administrator, Admiral 

Lautenbacher, divided up how you’re going to proceed, in terms of 

the management issues? I mean, can you tell the Committee what 

particular responsibilities at this point you will be assuming, 

versus he? 

Dr. MAHONEY. Yes, I’m delighted——

Senator KERRY. Let me also add to that the question—he obviously comes with a background with respect to the ocean component of this. You come with an atmospheric component of it. I 

think some of us are concerned about where the live marine resources fit in between the two. And maybe you could share with 

us a sense of how that will lay out. 

Dr. MAHONEY. I’d be delighted to, and I’m delighted that Admiral 

Lautenbacher is here in the room so that—of course, when one 

speaks about what one’s boss wants to do, it’s important that we 

be in the same space. 

But as we were requested to have an opportunity to visit with 

one another when the Administration aimed to proceed with the 

process of nominating Admiral Lautenbacher for Administrator and 

potentially nominating me to be deputy. So Admiral Lautenbacher 

and I began discussions. 

We both took a view that, based on our management experience 

in different sectors, of course, over a long time, we felt that NOAA 

and the nation would be best served if both of us viewed that we 

had a somewhat classic number-one and number-two deputy role, 

which is that there be a good deal of overlap and backstopping 

rather than a pigeonholing into the wet ocean and atmosphere, for 

example, even though we clearly want to work to our strengths in 

those areas where they exist. 

20

We would acknowledge in this—and I would, certainly in response to your question—I am not a fishery marine biological expert at all, and nor is Admiral Lautenbacher in his career. We’re 

delighted to have, in Dr. Bill Hogarth, a very strong head of the 

marine fishery program. And one thing we know for sure in our 

sense of management is that both Admiral Lautenbacher and I will 

pay a great deal of attention to this area. And Dr. Hogarth will 

have a great lead. 

There’s one other particular aspect I would mention in my own 

background. Having had some decades of environmental management experience, I’m very sensitive—as I know Admiral 

Lautenbacher is, too—but my direct working experience has been 

very frequently with the public review and decision process about 

environmental matters which go to permits, public actions that are 

sometimes public granting actions, other times public restricting 

actions. So it’s somewhat second-nature for me to be looking at circumstances where complicated issues have to come down to public 

decisions in the end. And those must always listen carefully to the 

views of the stakeholders, and then the decisions should be very 

transparent, in the sense that their basis should be open. 

So I’m sure I—and I know Admiral Lautenbacher, too—by our 

commonality in approach, will be very sensitive to this kind of play. 

So we will be strong observers of the management process for the 

fisheries issues. We’ll work very closely with Dr. Hogarth, of 

course, in carrying that out. 

Senator KERRY. Well, let me just say to you very quickly, then. 

I want to let my colleagues have a chance to ask some questions. 

I have a couple more questions, but I appreciate what you’ve just 

said, and I think it probably makes the most sense to have that 

kind of deputy relationship where there is cross-fertilization. 

The key concern to this Committee—I mean, in the 18 years that 

I’ve been involved with the fisheries issues—and Senator Hollings, 

a lot longer, and Senator Stevens and Senator Inouye and others 

on this Committee—there’s been a deep disappointment. You know, 

each year that we do the Magnuson or each year that we structure—every few years when we do it—we wrestle with this question of keeping the democracy of the councils where local input, 

local decisions, are able to be made and people are really controlling their own destiny, balanced against the inevitable, parochial 

tensions that prevent decisions from being made at all. And to 

some degree the predicament of our fisheries on a national basis 

is the unwillingness of people to resolve those issues and bite the 

bullet. 

A number of years ago, we empowered the Secretary—and obviously you, through the Secretary—to intervene in a way that 

makes the difference. It’s disturbing to me that a court is going to 

settle a Council issue now. I mean, that’s just not what we intended. It’s not the way it ought to work. 

So we’re very concerned that the agency really step up on this. 

And if you don’t have the science, then we’ve got to get the science. 

And that’s something we tried to augment in the budget last year. 

But I wonder if you’d just comment quickly on that, because 

there is a frustration, and we are going to be doing Magnuson 

again, and we need to come to grips with this issue. 

21

Dr. MAHONEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I’d be glad to. 

Let me start by wrapping in the comments that Senator Wyden 

mentioned in his opening comments and that we discussed in his 

office yesterday, which is the strong bias toward action and the— I think I wrap in the same comments in your case here. 

On the matter of taking action and taking on the tough issues, 

I’m very comforted by the experiences of the whole chain through 

Secretary Evans on down into NOAA here. 

Secretary Evans himself has clearly shown a great emphasis on 

good government and taking action and making decisions. 

Deputy Secretary Bodman, of course, comes into his post after a 

long career at the top level in corporate management in the country and is very action oriented. I know that Admiral Lautenbacher 

is, and I will assert that I am, too. And I think you’ve given clear 

direction, by these questions and by many other communications I 

am aware of, that you’re looking for things to come from NOAA 

and ultimately from the Commerce Department here. So I’m sure 

that those comments are heard and will be responded to. 

Senator KERRY. Thank you very much, Doctor, I appreciate it. 

Let me just say to everybody we want to try, if we can, to expedite so we can get into the CAFE hearing. 

Senator Wyden. 

Senator WYDEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a couple 

of questions. 

First, Dr. Mahoney, thank you for being forthcoming on this important nomination, again. 

Speak for a minute, if you would, to those fishing families, say, 

on the Oregon coast, like in Newport. They are looking to deliver 

a buy-back program so that you get the right number of people at 

the right time, catching the right number of fish, so that there’s a 

sustainable resource. 

Speak to them just for a moment of what you’re going to do to 

deliver that. 

Dr. MAHONEY. Well, Senator Wyden, I’m sure you can understand that since I am not even in position and have not had a 

chance to be rounded in the issues, I feel obliged to be cautious. 

I think it would be injudicious and wrong for me to simply say, ‘‘I 

believe we can do the following.’’ I think that the issue for fishing 

families on the Oregon coast is a very deep and pressing one. I 

think it’s an example of the sort that we have sometimes in other 

cases in this country, too, and we have to find, as a nation, the 

right mix of public-private initiatives to care for these problems of 

long standing. I don’t think it minimizes the problem for the fishing families there to note that similar issues relative to coal-mining 

families, to other one-industry-town families, have occurred across 

the country. 

So I believe that the public sector should—the government 

should judiciously look at the opportunities to help while remaining 

true to the principles of the kind of society and economy we have 

in the country to make a difference. And I think beyond that I 

would be injudicious to try to talk specifically because I don’t have 

a rounding of the issues. 

I’d be delighted, Senator, to build on this, to work with you and 

your staff and others on the Committee and, as you asked, to come 

22

back more specifically on the same points as I feel I’m better 

grounded. 

Senator WYDEN. Well, I think that’s fair. And obviously I’m just 

looking to see that you’ve got a commitment and that you’re going 

to follow up. And it’s fine to assert that this is preliminary, and 

there is no question that it is. I want to ask you about one other 

matter. 

This question of bycatch is critical because a tremendous number 

of fish are being wasted. It’s an incredible public disgrace at a time 

when we don’t have all the fish that we need for any kind of a sustainable resource. We’re wasting. We bring them to shore and we 

throw them aside. 

Your predecessors didn’t follow up on this program. What are 

you prepared—again, on the basis of the fact that you can’t make 

any specific commitments—to do, in a general way, to follow up on 

this issue? 

Dr. MAHONEY. Senator Wyden, I’m delighted to say, first, this 

issue has been called to our attention. Your questions, over some 

period, certainly caused this to be briefed to me before coming up 

here. 

I know that I will—I am committed to respond to you. 

I know that Admiral Lautenbacher is committed to respond to 

you and I’m certain that we will take action on the issue in the 

ways that seem to be appropriate. Again, I’ll draw the full stop on 

trying to commit to any specific action. But on the question of responsiveness, I feel it’s very important that, in this public setting, 

we say we hear you on a very important issue and we will be responsive. 

Senator WYDEN. I’ll wrap up with this. If and when you’re confirmed, and you’ll have my support, can I get a call from you in 

2 weeks to give me more specifics on both of these questions? 

Dr. MAHONEY. I hear you. The answer is yes, sir. 

Senator WYDEN. Great. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator KERRY. That’s always the best way to get a phone call 

returned I’ve ever heard of around here. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator KERRY. Senator Dorgan. 

Senator DORGAN. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Dr. 

Mahoney, one of your 4-year-old daughters has been waving at me 

back there. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator DORGAN. So I will support your nomination. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator DORGAN. Can you tell us their names, by the way? 

Dr. MAHONEY. Caitlin and Courtney—two Cs. 

Senator DORGAN. Well, that’s a surefire way to get confirmed is 

to bring two young ladies like that to our hearing. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator DORGAN. I am really pleased to support your nomination. I think you have an excellent background, and I look forward 

to working with you. 

I did want to mention one issue to you, and I’m not doing it in 

a way that’s unfair to you. I know that you will not have known 

23

of this or studied it, but I know that Admiral Lautenbacher is in 

the room, and I believe Sam Bodman is here. 

I received a call last night from Williston, North Dakota. We’ve 

had a long, tortured problem between the National Weather Service, NOAA, and Williston, North Dakota. I’ll just describe it in 1 

minute. 

You know we put in a series of NEXRAD radars in the country. 

They didn’t put very many of them up in our part of the country, 

so the one that serves northwestern North Dakota and northeastern Montana is in a place called Deering, North Dakota. That’s 

130 miles away from Williston. 

Well, it shoots radar in a way that it is not able to see storms 

below 12,000 feet. These low-formation, quick-moving winter 

storms are killer storms, and yet we were going to be left out of 

radar coverage for those kinds of storms with NEXRAD. And so the 

weather service at first denied it, but all the experts studied it and 

said, yes, this is an area of significance. So they’ve kept the 

Williston weather radar open for the last 4 or 5 years until they 

complete all these other studies. 

Now, I received a call last night saying that they’ve gone from 

6 people to 4 people. They’ve shut it down from midnight to 6 a.m. 

The people they’ve interviewed to try to replace them, the weather 

service has said to them, ‘‘By the way, you know, we might shut 

this down in the future, and we don’t pay moving expenses, so 

we’re interviewing you for a job you might not want to take.’’ And, 

of course, they’ve not had any takers. 

I think there’s been a lack of good faith here on the part of some 

people, and I’d like to work with you and with Admiral 

Lautenbacher and Sam Bodman to see if we can resolve this. I’m 

going to be calling their offices today, but I did want to mention 

this to you. 

It’s not a small issue. Williston, North Dakota, and the people 

who are ranchers and others who live in that part of North Dakota 

and Montana have as much right to accurate and good weather 

forecasting and weather radar as someone in New York or Chicago. 

We have as much right to that. And it was represented that would 

be the case. But, in fact, it is not the case with the NEXRAD system, and we have, frankly, not had the kind of help that I would 

have liked from the National Weather Service and NOAA in the 

past several Administrations. 

So I’d like to work with you. I raise that only because this is the 

time and place to raise it. I just received a call again yesterday, 

and I was surprised again by the latest information. 

So thank you. Thanks for offering yourself to public service. 

Thanks for bringing your daughters to this hearing, and I look forward to working with you, Dr. Mahoney. 

Dr. MAHONEY. Thank you, Senator, very much, and I hear you 

on the issue and will look forward to responding. 

Senator KERRY. Thanks very much, Senator Dorgan. 

Senator McCain. 

Senator MCCAIN. Congratulations, Dr. Mahoney, to you and your 

family. We look forward to working with you. Do you believe that 

climate change is real? 

Dr. MAHONEY. A simple answer, Senator, yes. 

24

Senator MCCAIN. Do you believe it’s a severe situation? 

Dr. MAHONEY. My answer gets a little bit longer when we talk 

about ‘‘severe,’’ because that’s such a comparative word that I think 

it can only be couched some ways. I believe it’s fair to call it a serious or severe problem or concern for the world society. 

Senator MCCAIN. Have you seen the latest National Academy of 

Sciences assessment? That was the strongest language that I have 

seen. 

Dr. MAHONEY. Yes, I have, Senator. 

Senator MCCAIN. Do you agree with that? 

Dr. MAHONEY. Generally, yes. 

Senator MCCAIN. Why do you suppose that there is still a large 

body of opinion in America that refuse to recognize this reality? 

Dr. MAHONEY. My sense, Senator, runs along two lines. One, the 

findings and implications are so important and profound that it 

bears well that skeptics and those who might have other views be 

heard well—not forever, but for some time—because the implications of the actions that may be necessary are very strong, as we 

know. 

So I think in the—and I say this somewhat in the science-process 

sense—even in view of the Academy’s report, I don’t think it’s the 

first time ever that we might have a circumstance where the best 

scientists might find something and certain data might arise in the 

world that would cause that feeling to be somewhat colored in the 

next few years. 

And I’m not trying to duck the issue, but I’m saying, on the one 

side, just on the science issue, there’s a place to have a bit of real 

caution, even when there—even, and maybe almost in particular, 

when there’s a—when we might characterize a 95-percent agreement with some well-known percentage on the other side. 

The second is that I believe that it’s a different matter to deal 

with what the responses and actions should be. And I think very 

much of this triad that we have of the science and all of its manifestations and its uncertainties—and I should stress I don’t mean 

uncertainty as a surrogate to say don’t act; it’s just a fact of life 

that there are these uncertainties—and we have the related technology issues of what can we do differently. But then there are, in 

their own rights, fundamental questions, of course, of economic security and energy security, certainly for our nation as the world 

leader, but for the whole world, too, because the mitigation strategies may impede the development of societies everywhere in the 

world—in many cases, most often in the underdeveloped countries. 

Senator MCCAIN. I hope you’ll give this issue the priority that it 

deserves, which is the highest priority. 

Finally, do you believe that the oceans of the world are becoming 

polluted to an alarming degree? 

Dr. MAHONEY. Senator, yes, with the caveat that we have some 

cases of improvements in some coastal zones, which is worthy of 

note, but that the broad state of the oceans is one that needs repair. 

Senator MCCAIN. Thank you. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator KERRY. Thank you, Senator McCain, for those important 

questions. 

25

Senator Nelson. 

Senator NELSON. Mr. Chairman, I just want to follow up Senator 

McCain’s line of questioning and thank him again for being very 

bold on a number of questions and daring to tread in certain areas 

that otherwise might not think that someone in his party would do. 

And I appreciate that boldness. And what Senator McCain—— Senator Kerry. Senator McCain thanks you for putting him on 

the spot. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator NELSON. Well, what he speaks is truth. And even though 

it doesn’t dramatically affect his state of Arizona, it sure affects my 

state of Florida, because the rise of the oceans, the increase of the 

temperature, the increase of pestilence, the increase of tremendous 

storms called hurricanes, and so forth. And, you know, we’d best 

get about the process of recognizing that, in fact, we do have a 

problem and stop sticking our heads in the sand. I thank the Senator from Arizona for raising the issue. 

Senator KERRY. Thank you very much, Senator Nelson. And I 

thank all my colleagues. 

Senator Breaux. 

Senator BREAUX. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Thank you, Dr. Mahoney. Welcome to the Department of Commerce and particularly to NOAA. You have a tremendous background, educationally, with a Ph.D. in meteorology, and that’s 

going to be very important to your work over there. I was just wondering, do you have an idea, with Admiral Lautenbacher, how you 

all are going to divide up the fisheries areas? I mean, this is not 

your area of background. It’s more in the weather service and meteorology, which is incredibly important. But also in the fisheries 

areas, which is important, as well, have you all had discussions on 

how those areas are going to be divided up? 

Dr. MAHONEY. Yes, sir, Senator Breaux. We had a discussion a 

little while ago about this, too, and I’ll give, hopefully, a quick answer, knowing you’ve got a full morning here, but I’m delighted to 

elaborate, now and later, as you may want. 

Admiral Lautenbacher and I have had the, of course, discussions 

about the management, overall. As number-two, I can be very 

clear. Number-one is the boss, of course, and will do things the way 

that he determines in the end. 

But we have looked at what I would consider to be a fairly conventional leader and deputy circumstance where both of us should 

have a very broad purview, because this provides a certain amount 

of redundancy in coverage, overall. 

While we acknowledge Admiral Lautenbacher has a strong 

oceans background, obviously, and I do have an air background, 

neither of those are directly the marine biology and fisheries background which is of great interest to you and many on the Committee, of course. 

Our approach about that is, I think, a couple of key things. First, 

we take the responsibility of oversight very strongly. Second, we 

have a very strong leader in Dr. Bill Hogarth, who will be very 

much front and center on these issues, but with my involvement 

and that of Admiral Lautenbacher, as well. And, third, most of the 

fisheries issues certainly have to be addressed by experts, but they 

26

are ultimately environmental and community-management problems that touch the economy and the livelihood and it would call 

on science and observation for definition. 

I have decades of being imbued in the process of this kind of environment management, and a modest amount of fisheries management background like this, as well. So I’m sure we’ll be looking at 

trying to help strengthen NOAA’s approach to addressing being 

open and transparent about these issues and getting resolution and 

trying to move in very tough areas which are a combination of observation science about the state of health of the fisheries and ultimately have to be economic an public decisions that affect people 

in local economies. 

Senator BREAUX. Well, I thank you for understanding those 

issues. I think that while you are an expert in weather and you 

know the violence of a summer thunderstorm, I would suggest that 

you really haven’t seen anything violent until you’ve been through 

a shrimp meeting on the turtle excluder devices in south Louisiana. 

You may want to steer clear of that to the extent that you can. But 

thank you very much. 

Dr. MAHONEY. Thank you, Senator. 

Senator KERRY. Senator Breaux, thank you very much. 

I think all of that said, a few years ago, I commented to somebody that if you ever wanted to do a perfect study on government 

regulatory process and the difficulties and the varied forces pulling 

and tugging, the fisheries are perhaps one of the most ideal. It is 

complicated. 

But what is not complicated is understanding that the consequence of the inaction that comes from not making some choices 

between those tensions is disastrous. And we’ve seen that. 

And we’ve got 60,000 acres of clam beds closed in Massachusetts. 

We’ve got, as you know, the Georges Banks. You know, we lost our 

striper fisheries a number of years ago. We brought it back by 

shutting it down. For almost 10 years, there was no fishing. Now 

people are going out and catching, you know, regulation-size stripers, and we brought it back. 

So it just isn’t that complicated to understand. What’s lacking is 

not the solution, it’s the willpower to put it in place. And so we 

really are going to look for you to try to help us do that. 

And we’re going to now move into a component of the morning’s 

business that reflects questions of Senator McCain and Senator 

Nelson’s concern, which we all share. There’s been a lot of procrastination about how we ought to make some choices with respect 

to emissions and global gases, and a lot of people’s patience is 

wearing thin on it. We’re going to talk about that momentarily. But 

we really do look to you for leadership and guidance with respect 

to those issues also. 

Dr. Mahoney, you are going to be confirmed, and we’re going to 

try to move this through as rapidly as possible and get you on the 

job. And we really are appreciative for your coming here this morning. We’re appreciate for the fact that you’re willing to serve, and 

we’re grateful to your family for their support and for their willingness to also have you serve. So we thank you very much. 

Dr. MAHONEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you all for your 

questions and hearing me out. 

27

Senator KERRY. Thank you. 

[The hearing was adjourned at 9:55 a.m.] 

(29)

APPENDIX

PREPARED STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you and Chairman Hollings for holding this 

morning’s hearing on the nomination of Dr. James Mahoney to be the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator. 

I appreciate your willingness to work with myself and others on the Committee to 

give consideration to this important nomination in such a timely manner. 

NOAA is the primary federal agency involved in activities that affect the everyday 

lives of Americans from predicting the daily weather forecasts to protecting our nation’s vital fish stocks. By predicting future droughts, storm fronts, tornadoes, and 

hurricanes, NOAA also has an important role in ensuring our nation’s safety and 

economic well-being. Given Dr. Mahoney’s experience in running major organizations in the private sector and the government, I am sure that he will do an excellent job as the Deputy Administrator for NOAA. 

One issue of particular interest to me is NOAA’s groundbreaking work in research 

in the effects of global warming on the Earth‘s climate. Recent events, such as the 

discoveries in Antarctica, increased coral bleaching, and the National Academy of 

Sciences’ report last year, underscore the importance of collecting accurate data and 

designing comprehensive models that measure changes in our climate, and its effects here on Earth. While I appreciate all of the hard work of NOAA’s scientists 

involved in this effort, I recognize that a significant amount of research remains before we can fully understand the complex and dynamic relationships between the 

atmosphere, the oceans, land, and mankind. I look forward to working with you, Dr. 

Mahoney, to ensure that the U.S. research contributions to this global problem are 

helpful and adequate. 

Again, thank you , Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing and I look forward to 

quick action on this nomination. 

WRITTEN RESPONSES BY DR. JAMES R. MAHONEY TO QUESTIONS

FROM SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN

Question 1. It is my understanding that you have extensive experience in the meteorological, hydrological, and oceanographic areas. As you may be aware, I have introduced legislation in the area of climate change and continue to work on legislation that would establish a national ‘‘cap and trade’’ program. One of the issues that 

we are trying to address is at what atmospheric level of carbon dioxide should we 

be targeting. 

Based upon your experience, do you have any thoughts on what that level should 

be to alleviate these climate change concerns? 

Answer: Global average atmospheric CO2 concentrations have risen approximately 

25 percent in the past 100 years, or approximately 2.5 percent per decade. Climate 

science has not established any specific ‘‘safe’’ levels for CO2 concentrations, which 

appear to be higher now than at any time in the past 400,000 years. CO2 concentrations are projected to continue increasing throughout the next century, absent more 

stringent levels of global CO2 emission controls. 

Attempts to establish a future target level of CO2 concentrations will involve substantial uncertainty and debate. Three categories of issues need to be addressed: 

1. Scientific Questions: We need better knowledge about ‘‘purely scientific’’ issues 

such as the relationship between CO2 concentrations and several global and regional 

climate parameters (e.g., temperature and precipitation patterns, severe weather 

frequency and intensity, etc.) as related to global changes in CO2 concentrations. 

2. Value and Goal Questions: How should a target level be defined? For example, 

should the target level be one that results in (a) long-term stable climate conditions; 

(b) more moderate expected climate changes—facilitating adaptation or (c) other 

outcomes? 

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3. ‘‘Integrated Assessment’’ Questions: Climate questions are inevitably related to 

economic and energy security questions that must be addressed by all nations. As 

climate science continues to improve, the ‘‘purely scientific’’ evaluation of target levels will necessarily be linked to considerations of economic and energy outcomes for 

all nations. 

I believe that informed national and global discussions about all three of these 

categories of questions should be an integral part of the debates about target levels 

for CO2 and other greenhouse gases. 

(b) Do you believe that the current computer modeling program by the government is sufficient to support decisions on this area? 

Answer: I believe the current U.S. climate modeling program is good, but is not 

sufficient to support the full range of policy analyses and decisions on climate 

change issues that must be addressed now and in future years. Given the importance of U.S. leadership in evaluating climate change issues, our nation should 

maintain a best state-of-the-art capability in climate modeling. Our current modeling program is not yet at this level. In particular, we need abundant computational capability to develop, test and operate the continuously improving climate 

models, and to broadly apply these models to global and regional scale climate studies. Moreover, the U.S. needs adequate high-end computing capacity to support the 

large group of researchers and policy analysts who seek to apply the best climate 

models to a wide range of highly important assessment scenarios. 

I agree with the principal findings of the National Academy of Sciences which has 

issued two recent analyses of U.S. climate modeling capability: The Capacity of U.S. 

Climate Modeling to Support Climate Change Assessment Activities (1998); and Improving the Effectiveness of U.S. Climate Modeling (2001). These Academy reports 

have identified the following priorities for improving climate modeling capabilities 

in the U.S.: 

• Robust support for the strong U.S. basic climate research enterprise, combined 

with a high level of resources for climate model ‘‘production capability’’ needed for 

routine and specialized climate projections. Exploratory research, frequently conducted by single investigators or small groups, is a key source of much breakthrough knowledge about climate and earth systems. Both the basic researchers and 

the ‘‘production modelers’’ need a long-term resource commitment for the best stateof-the-art climate modeling capability. 

• A robust and flexible capability to produce high-end climate model simulations 

and projections for many different applications communities (e.g., economists, energy traders, industrial planners, etc.) that are increasingly becoming involved with 

climate analysis. 

Question 2. Scientists recently announced that temperatures on the Antarctic continent have fallen steadily for more than two decades. They seem to be at a loss 

as to how to explain this. They further noted that the research does not change the 

fact that the planet has warmed up on the whole. The research simply points out 

that the Antarctic is not responding as expected. Do you have any thoughts on these 

findings? 

Answer: Global average temperatures have increased at a rate approximately 

0.6ÆC per century since 1900. In the past 25 years the global average temperature 

has risen at a rate approximately 3 times faster than the century-scale trend. However, temperature records from surface observing stations in Antarctica do not reflect this increasing temperature trend. This difference may be partly due to the 

scarcity of surface observing station data for Antarctica, especially since 1992 when 

the number of observing stations dropped significantly in Antarctica. Depending on 

the data sets and analysis methods used to calculate average temperatures, the 

1976-2001 trend in annual average temperature in Antarctica is approximately zero 

(i.e., no net trend) by one analysis method, and a cooling by approximately 0.4ÆC 

per decade using another method. A significant short-term cooling is suggested by 

1992 and 1993 data, but this may be related to the reduction in the number of observing stations at this time. 

The Antarctic continent is approximately 50 percent larger than the land mass 

of the United States, but there have never been more than 30 surface observing stations operating on the continent. The majority of these stations are located along 

coastal areas. By comparison, the United States has an observing network of thousands of stations together with excellent satellite coverage. The potential uncertainties related to the small number of observing stations can be illustrated by a comparison of winter (June-August) temperature trends on opposing sides of the Antarctic continent. From 1976-2001, eastern winter temperatures decreased (-0.5ÆC 

per decade), while western temperatures increased (+0.3ÆC per decade) during the 

same period. 

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Several other considerations also suggest that temperature trends in Antarctica 

may not be correlated with global average temperature trends. The general atmospheric circulation in the region of the Antarctic continent is relatively isolated from 

the rest of the global atmosphere because of the strength of the Circumpolar Vortex 

(the upper air wind pattern) throughout much of the year. Another possible illustration of the relative isolation of Antarctica is suggested by paleoclimate data developed from ice core analyses for Greenland and Antarctica. Significant warning occurred in Greenland approximately 36,000 to 45,000 years ago and this warming 

lagged behind Antarctic changes by approximately 1,000 years. I also note that the 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has suggested that sluggish 

ocean heat transport circulation may be particularly important in understanding 

temperature change at polar latitudes. 

Question 3. You have mentioned in pre-hearing questions that one of your goals 

is to work with the NOAA Administrator to build upon NOAA’s strengths of personnel, technology, operational systems, and institutional experience. In recent testimony before the Commerce Committee, Dr. John Marburger, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, highlighted the need for more diversity at all 

ranks of the science and engineering workforce. Do you feel that this need exists 

at NOAA and if so, what are your objectives in the personnel area? 

Answer: I believe that enhanced diversity is essential for developing and maintaining a talented scientific and engineering workforce in our society. Moreover, encouragement of technical careers for currently underrepresented sectors of U.S. society constitutes one of the most effective investments in the human and economic 

capital of our nation. I am gratified that during my term as President of the American Meteorological Society, the AMS greatly expanded its recruitment and scholarship support for minority students interested in the atmospheric, oceanographic and 

hydrological sciences. 

The federal government should be a clear leader in fostering diversity among its 

technical personnel and NOAA, with its high percentage of advanced technical personnel, should be at the forefront of the federal government activities. I am pleased 

to note that NOAA and the Department of Commerce will be expanding their partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). NOAA’s current (FY2002) budg- et includes $15 million to fulfill the mandates of Presidential Executive Orders for 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions and 

Tribal Colleges and Universities. NOAA designated four Cooperative Science Centers in October 2000 at institutions with established degree programs in Atmospheric, Oceanic and Environmental sciences and Remote Sensing. 

I believe that NOAA has a generally good track record for fostering a diverse and 

competent workforce, but further improvement must always be our goal. NOAA 

management at all levels from the top down must be proactive in two broad categories: (1) sustaining a culture that insists on diversity and merit-based opportunity for all, as a high priority value, and (2) encouragement of specific initiatives 

that can improve diversity in all categories of the NOAA workforce. If confirmed, 

I shall fully support Admiral Lautenbacher and the entire NOAA management team 

in our proactive commitment to promoting diversity throughout the agency. 

Question 4. What are your views on the current process used by the government 

to determine the research priorities for climate change research? Do you feel that 

changes are necessary to strengthen the role of the U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program? 

Answer: I believe the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) has generally been well managed as a research enterprise, with the benefit of scientific program planning that has involved many of our nation’s leading researchers. However, 

I believe that the fundamental (and increasingly important) assessment mission of 

the USGCRP has not received sufficient attention and priority. In a similar vein, 

the National Academy of Sciences has also faulted the program for its inadequate 

ability to focus resources on priority areas. 

I advocate the use of a well-defined and broadly communicated assessment plan 

as an essential tool for future program planning for climate change analyses. My 

views about the importance of a high quality assessment plan were developed as 

‘‘lessons learned’’ while I served as Director of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP) from 1988 to 1991. 

In my view, a comprehensive assessment plan is much broader than a research 

program plan. A research plan generally focuses on the study of phenomena (such 

as climate change measurements, hypotheses and models), with a goal of improved 

understanding of scientifically based cause-and-effects mechanisms. An assessment 

plan focuses on the outcomes of strategies, and should include specific consideration 

of economic and energy security issues, as well as other policy outcomes of an array 

of strategies being studied. A comprehensive assessment plan will beneficially influVerDate Apr 24 2002 13:47 Aug 06, 2003 Jkt 087604 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\87604.TXT SCOM1 PsN: CAROLT
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ence the selection of scientific priorities in global change studies, by focusing research on the key outcomes that need to be understood. I also support continued 

exploratory research (i.e., not focused on specific outcomes) as an essential component of the USGCRP. Continued scientific inquiry into a wide range of global climate issues should continue to receive long term support. 

Question 5. What are your thoughts on the National Academy of Science’s rec- ommendation for a National Climate Service who would coordinate a global weather 

observing system? 

Answer: The National Academy has recommended improved and more comprehensive climate services, but has not specifically recommended a National Climate 

Service. The Academy recommendations included: well coordinated use of the nation’s array of weather and climate observation systems; improved capabilities for 

research, technology infusion, modeling and prediction; and regional interdisciplinary approaches to climate services. 

I believe that a high degree of coordination of federal, state and local government 

resources, combined with private and academic sector capabilities, will be needed 

to provide climate services for the nation. I am pleased to note that NOAA recently 

linked its NWS, NESDIS, and OAR units in a Climate Observations and Services 

Program to provide more integrated climate services. This is one key building block 

in the development of more coordinated national climate services. I look forward to 

working with my NOAA colleagues in the development of other federal, state, local, 

private and international partnerships to enhance this collaboration. The goals for 

our comprehensive climate partnership should include: improving observational accuracy, consistency and overall coverage based on the resources of all the partners; 

assuring long-term stability in climate observing systems, to facilitate the analysis 

of long-term trends; and enhancing efficiency in delivering climate services to all interested users. I believe that integrating and broadly improving all of our nation’s climate service resources is an important mission for NOAA and, if confirmed, I will 

work with Admiral Lautenbacher and the NOAA management team to fully address 

this mission. 

Question 6. One major program under NOAA’s responsibility is the National 

Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). This program is funded through both the Department of Commerce and Department of Defense. Based upon your management experience with large scientific and technical 

organizations, do you have any thoughts on how to improve the workings of this 

program? 

Answer: This unique program was established by a Presidential Decision Directive and implemented by a tri-agency (DOC/NOAA, DOD, NASA) memorandum of 

agreement that established clearly defined requirements, agency roles, and coordinated management structures. Based on the reviews I have undertaken to date, I 

believe that the NPOESS program is currently on track to achieve the significant 

savings projected when the program was initiated. In addition to substantial cost 

savings, I also believe that NPOESS is providing major benefits in the cross-fertilization of technical and management experiences among the partner agencies. 

My management experience suggest that every long-term program operating with 

joint agency sponsorship needs at least three conditions to achieve its goals and to 

avoid the inefficiency that could result if inadequate project control or communication were to develop: 

• Continuous commitment and support from the senior management of each of 

the sponsoring agencies. 

• Clearly understood program management lines of authority, reinforced by frequent program reviews. 

• A real sense of partnership, and commitment to achieving common goals, 

throughout the program management and contractor personnel. 

I believe these three elements are currently in place for the NPOESS program. 

The continued attention to NPOESS at the senior management level in each sponsoring agency will help ensure the program continues to maintain its focus as it matures, to assure that NPOESS continues to meet its stringent cost, schedule and 

performance requirements. 

While NPOESS has benefited from its unique access to the best resources of its 

sponsoring agencies, I believe the issue of multi-year budget coordination between 

the executive branch and Congress will need continued attention. The Office of Management and Budget ensures that the DOC and DOD budgets are consistent when 

submitted by the President to Congress. However, Congressional review of the 

NPOESS program is divided among several authorization and appropriation subcommittees. I believe that NOAA/DOC, DOD and NASA must remain proactive in 

assuring good communication with the various congressional authorization and appropriation subcommittees with responsibilities to oversee the NPOESS program. If 

33

confirmed, I look forward to working with Admiral Lautenbacher and the NOAA 

management team to assure that NPOESS is an excellent example of interagency 

collaboration, as well as executive and legislative collaboration. 

Question 7. Over the past few years, there has been some controversy about the 

role of the National Weather Service as it relates to commercial providers of weather forecasting information. Could you please explain your thoughts on what Weather 

Service services should be provided by the National Weather Service, and which 

should be provided by private forecasters? 

I note that NOAA has recently asked the National Academy of Sciences to review 

this question, i.e., the roles of government, the private sector and academia in providing weather and climate information to the nation. Considering the importance 

of weather and climate information to our country, and considering the partnership 

that already exists between NOAA and the private sector, I believe any suggested 

changes in roles should be examined carefully in a forum open to the many stakeholders affected. 

I believe that NOAA and private sector interests have made substantial progress 

in resolving many public/private responsibility issues during the past 10 years. The 

following overview comments reflect my views on the continued evolution the public/

private partnerships in weather and climate services. 

• NOAA has a fundamental responsibility for the protection of human life and 

property, and should retain its role as the source of all severe weather and flood 

warnings, to assure consistency and to avoid confusion during alert conditions. 

• As a public agency, NOAA must always be open to consideration of privatization 

of any functions that do not impair its ability to meet its critical public missions. 

• Proposals for privatization of NOAA functions must be evaluated with a particular emphasis on assuring consistent and reliable long-term performance of such 

functions. 

• NOAA should continue to provide any of the data, information and analysis 

products it amasses at public expense to all interested users, on a rapid-dissemination basis, at the marginal cost of the dissemination alone. 

• NOAA should continue a robust program of weather and climate forecasting 

services. Forecasting and verification activities provide essential feedback needed for 

the continuous upgrading of observing, data assimilation and computer modeling capabilities. 

• NOAA already has a very well developed array of partnership activities, with 

both private sector and academic institutions. These should be continued, and 

should be considered as possible focuses for improved partnerships in the future. 

If confirmed, I will look forward to working with the Committee to examine the 

results of the National Academy study when it is completed, and to consider any 

proposed changes to the existing partnership arrangements. 

Question 8. Because of the long development time needed for major programs, new 

technology is frequently not included in programs as they are brought on-line. For 

example, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) reportedly 

operate using 386 and 486 processors. What changes would you suggest to ensure 

that new technology is incorporated into major programs, while also ensuring that 

the programs remain interoperable with older technology? 

Answer: As you state in the question, this problem has two aspects—the need to 

keep up with technology improvements, and the need to continue operating installed 

systems and serving users who choose not to upgrade. This challenging problem is 

exacerbated by the long development and deployment times for complex systems 

such as satellite observing platforms and nationally deployed radar systems. Moreover, the measurement and data communication protocols from these long-life systems must be suitable for processing by multiple users, further complicating the 

problem. The issue of technology upgrades combined with backward compatibility is 

common to many long-term systems operated by government units (DOD in particular) and throughout the private sector. I believe that NOAA has made significant progress with technology upgrade issues in many cases, but needs to use its 

past experience to make further improvements. I suggest the following guidelines 

for addressing this long-term issue: 

• The culture of anticipating technology upgrades, combined with backward compatibility, should be established as a common basis for system development, design 

and implementation. This culture should have a particular focus on the opportunities for improved information processing technologies, because the rate of improvement in information technologies continues to be very steep. 

• NOAA should specifically incorporate product improvement planning as a line 

element of all long-term system development and design activity. This planning 

should include a ‘‘lessons learned’’ perspective developed from experience with curVerDate Apr 24 2002 13:47 Aug 06, 2003 Jkt 087604 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\87604.TXT SCOM1 PsN: CAROLT
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rent systems. DOD uses a Pre-Planned Product Improvement (P3I) approach that 

may provide a useful model for NOAA. • NOAA should continue to buildupon its several ongoing programs that systematically insert new technology into existing systems. For example, I understand that 

NOAA has budgeted approximately $50 million annually to update the ground systems supporting NOAA satellites to ensure that data processing, transmission and 

archiving capabilities maintain pace with technology. Also I support the planned 

product improvement programs that NOAA has already initiated for several systems, including the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, Next Generation Weather Radar, and the Automated Surface Observing System. 

Question 9. It has been reported that NOAA currently receives more data from 

its satellites than it can process and incorporate into its weather and climate models. What recommendations would you make for upgrading NOAA’s capability to 

handle the data it receives? 

Answer: In addition to its use of current research and operational satellite data 

to support weather and climate models, NOAA must prepare for the ongoing, substantial increase in satellite data expected throughout the next 10 years. NOAA 

must ensure that the communication infrastructure is in place to sustain the flow 

of data from satellites to the operational forecasting components of the National 

Weather Service. NOAA must also continue to increase the computational power required for the assimilation of this data into the operational climate and weather 

models. Furthermore, NOAA must increase its efforts in the research, development 

and design of improved data assimilation systems that can extract the most useful 

satellite data needed to support the ongoing advances in climate and weather forecast models. 

I understand that NASA and NOAA have recently joined forces to form a ‘‘Joint 

Center for Satellite Data Assimilation’’ for several purposes: (1) to accelerate the use 

of research and operational satellite data in weather and climate forecast models; 

(2) to assess the means for extracting the most information from satellite data for 

use in the forecast models; and (3) to show the extent to which these data can be 

used to attain NOAA’s 5-year forecast improvement goals for hurricanes, precipitation forecasts and general weather forecasts. The Joint Center is expected to be a 

principal resource for continuing attention to the data assimilation issues, to take 

advantage of the ever-increasing quantity of data available to support weather and 

climate models. 

The pace of improvement in observing technology, communications capability, and 

information processing capacity assures that the issue of ‘‘How do we best use all 

of the information that we collect?’’ will be with NOAA and other government technical agencies over the long term. I view the issue as a special application of Moore’s Law that projects a doubling of information processing capability every 18 months. 

If confirmed, I will work with Admiral Lautenbacher in focusing NOAA’s attention 

of the long-term opportunity and challenge afforded by the continuing improvements 

in data collection and processing technology. 

Question 10. The second item of the President’s Management Agenda calls for giving the private sector more opportunities to compete for the right to perform certain 

tasks traditionally performed by government employees. What opportunities do you 

see in NOAA’s mission for greater private sector competition? 

Answer: I believe that NOAA has a long-term track record of providing significant 

outsourcing opportunities to the private sector. As a premier scientific agency in the 

nation, NOAA should continue to build on its partnerships with the private and academic sectors to effectively achieve its mission. I understand that in recent years 

NOAA has pursued outsourcing and public/private partnerships in ship and electronic equipment maintenance, surface weather observations at airports throughout 

the United States, information technology network support, software development 

and automated data processing, and the design and construction of satellites and 

remote sensing instruments. I believe these examples should be used as building 

blocks, and that NOAA should work to achieve annual increases in the scope and 

quantity of its outsourcing and partnership activities. 

Question 11. In your answers to the pre-hearing questions, you stated that ‘‘federal government positions are not seen as desirable long-term career choices by 

many of ‘‘the best and brightest’’ scientific and technical personnel’’. How does this 

lack of interest in federal employment hurt NOAA’s ability to achieve its mission, 

and what steps do you propose should be taken to correct this problem? 

Answer: I believe that several federal science-based agencies currently have an 

unfavorable demographic profile in their technical work force, with a low percentage 

of entry level and early career level technical specialists. I believe this profile has 

emerged because federal scientific employment is not seen as a priority choice for 

many of our best technical graduates, and because many of the best qualified early 

35

and mid-career technical specialists in government are successfully recruited to private and academic positions. I am certain that favorable compensation opportunities 

in the private sector are a factor in the decisions of many promising career scientists 

to leave federal government service. Moreover, I believe that the opportunity for 

more rapid increases in responsibility and recognition also influence many government scientists to consider academic and private sector opportunities. For highly 

qualified scientists, the first 10 years of experience after graduation are often the 

most productive for new ideas; I believe that scientists in federal service should perceive opportunities for rapid increases in responsibilities when merited, during this 

critical 10 year period. 

The deficiency in the percentage of early career scientists in federal service restricts government’s access to current scientific and technological thinking from the 

recently educated, and suggests a possibly serious shortage of well-qualified mid-career specialists in the next few years, when a sizable percentage of current technical 

staff will be eligible for retirement. I believe that NOAA is better situated than the 

average agency on this issue, because NOAA has the benefit of several excellent laboratories, key scientists, and well-regarded R&D programs. Even so, NOAA must be 

alert to recruit and retain an abundant share of the younger generation of scientific 

and technological personnel that it needs to fulfill its missions. 

I believe NOAA should further enhance its already-favorable working environment so as to encourage its technical employees to remain in public service. NOAA 

should continuously strive to foster an open and challenging work environment that 

enables our scientific and technical employees, as well as our other employees, to 

reach their full potential. I understand that NOAA is actively pursuing this type 

of environment through such initiatives as workforce development and continuous 

learning, as well as family friendly initiatives such as telecommuting, and the use 

of available personnel management flexibility such as retention allowances, and alternative personnel systems. I look forward to joining in these important efforts, and 

collaborating with the many highly satisfied NOAA employees to facilitate the marketing of the NOAA brand in the colleges and universities that have programs in 

the scientific and technical disciplines needed for NOAA’s mission.

Æ