Don’t be surprised to see acting Assistant Energy Secretary for Environmental Management James Owendoff continue to lead the Energy Department’s nuclear cleanup program for several more months, a longtime industry observer told Weapons Complex Morning Briefing on Tuesday.
“I think they have got a clean slate at DOE on EM-1 candidates,” the source said.
Owendoff, a longtime DOE hand who previously served as a senior adviser for EM, in June became both acting assistant secretary and principal deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Environmental Management in June. He took over from prior acting EM chief Sue Cange.
The source said the Trump administration for now is happy to have Owendoff run the roughly $6 billion annual environmental remediation of DOE’s nuclear weapons legacy. It is unlikely anyone will be nominated and confirmed by the Senate to the EM post until 2018, according to the observer.
Only two new political appointees are in place at DOE: Energy Secretary Rick Perry and his deputy, Dan Brouillette. The source also noted that Owendoff seems to be well-regarded and is also a retired Air Force officer. Retired military personnel appear to have particular cache with the Trump administration, the source added.
Shortly after being named acting assistant secretary, Owendoff started a 45-day program review to identify ways to improve the cleanup program.
