US Senate confirms Radhika Fox to head office of water

THE US Senate on Wednesday (16) confirmed Indian American Radhika Fox as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) office of water.

Fox won the nomination by 55 to 43 votes after seven Republican Senators supported her candidature. Two Democratic Senators did not cast their votes.

“Fox brings with her an impressive professional record of service and accomplishment, spanning over two decades, working on water issues at the local, state, and federal level,” said Senator Tom Carper, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

“We have the opportunity to confirm a truly gifted leader and put her to work serving our country right away.”

On April 14, president Joe Biden nominated Fox for the post of assistant administrator for water, EPA.

She currently serves as the acting assistant administrator for Water.

The office works to ensure that drinking water is safe, wastewater is safely returned to the environment, and surface waters are properly managed and protected.

Prior to joining EPA, Fox served as the chief executive officer for the US Water Alliance. She was a widely recognised national thought leader on complex water issues, from equitable water management to investing in the nation’s water infrastructure.

Her work has helped address the most salient water issues facing the US -- including climate change, affordability, equity, governance, innovative finance, and the evolution of the One Water movement.

Fox previously directed the policy and government affairs agenda for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which is responsible for providing 24x7 water, wastewater and municipal power services to 2.6 million Bay Area residents.

She also served as the Federal Policy Director at PolicyLink, where she coordinated the organisation’s policy agenda on a wide range of issues, including infrastructure investment, transportation, sustainable communities, economic inclusion, and workforce development.

Fox holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley, where she was a HUD Community Development Fellow.