Catherine McCabe Assumes Duties as Acting Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Governor Phil Murphy’s nominee for Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”) assumed her new duties as Acting Commissioner on January 22, 2018 while she awaits confirmation by the Senate.

The new Acting Commissioner has extensive experience with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), having served most recently as both deputy and acting regional administrator of EPA’s Region 2, and as acting administrator of the EPA itself. EPA’s Region 2 includes New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Acting Commissioner McCabe also served as Deputy Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, as a judge on EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board. Prior to joining EPA, McCabe held various managerial positions with the U.S. Department of Justice in its Environmental and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Enforcement Section, Natural Resources Section, and Policy, Legislation and Special Litigation Section. She earned her law degree from Columbia Law School, a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Barnard College, and studied environmental science at the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The appointment of an experienced environmental administrator evidences the Governor’s commitment to his ambitious environmental agenda.