President Nominates DEP's Joseph Pizarchik To Federal Office Of Surface Mining Position

President Obama this week nominated Joseph G. Pizarchik, Director of DEP's Bureau of Mining and Reclamation, to be the new Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

The nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Since 2002 Pizarchik has been Director of Mining and Reclamation for DEP and before that served as Assistant Director and General Counsel in DEP for 11 years.

President Obama called Pizarchik "a pragmatic innovator" and cited his work on Pennsylvania's 1999 Good Samaritan law that gives legal liability waivers to companies and other organization which undertake voluntary environmental cleanup.

National recognition of Pennsylvania's leadership on mine regulation and reclamation issues is nothing new.

Jeffrey D. Jarrett, was named first Deputy Director then Director of the federal Office of Surface Mining in 2002. He served as DEP Deputy Secretary for Mineral Resources Management prior to that appointment.

Richard Stickler, Director of DEP's Bureau of Deep Mine Safety during the 2002 Quecreek Mine Rescue, was appointed acting head of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration in 2006.