Fulfilling Governor Phil Murphy’s commitment to pursue clean energy and place the state at the national forefront of environmental protection, longtime federal environmental leader Catherine R. McCabe has assumed her duties as the acting commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
“New Jersey has a long tradition of being a national leader in environmental protection,” said acting commissioner McCabe, whose appointment requires confirmation by the state Senate. “I am excited to join the DEP and its thousands of expert professionals to help continue the Garden State’s leadership on the issues of climate change and renewable energy, sustainability with economic growth, and environmental protection based on strong science and facts.”
McCabe comes to the DEP with a distinguished career in government service, both in environmental law and science.
Most recently, McCabe served as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Region 2 administrator in New York City.
In that position, McCabe assisted the regional administration in overseeing operations and regional implementation of all EPA programs in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. She also served as acting EPA administrator and acting region 2 administrator in 2017, and was a long time member of the EPA’s executive management council.
McCabe, from 2011 to 2014, served as a judge on the EPA’s environmental appeals board, and from 2005 to 2011 she served as deputy assistant administrator of EPA’s office of enforcement and compliance assurance.
McCabe joined the EPA after 22 years with the U.S. Department of Justice, where she served in various positions. She was a manager and trial attorney in the Environment and Natural Resources Division, including deputy chief of the environmental enforcement section, assistant chief in the natural resources section, and senior counsel in the policy, legislation and special litigation section.
Before joining federal service, McCabe was an assistant attorney general for the State of New York, and was associated with the law firm of Webster and Sheffield in New York City.
Published in the March 2018 Edition