
Geologist David Applegate at his nomination hearing on April 28. (Image credit – Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee)
Geologist David Applegate at his nomination hearing on April 28. (Image credit – Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee)
President Biden’s pick to lead the U.S. Geological Survey, David Applegate, appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last month for his nomination hearing
Overseen by the Department of the Interior, USGS has played a major role in mapping U.S. mineral resources since its establishment in 1879. With a current budget of about $1.4 billion, it is one of the smaller federal science agencies but is receiving a one-time boost of over $500 million through last year’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
A geologist and career USGS official, Applegate for a decade led the agency’s efforts to monitor threats from natural hazards such as volcanos and earthquakes. Since the beginning of the Biden administration, he has been performing the duties of agency director. Committee members from both parties spoke highly of his qualifications at the hearing, putting him on track for confirmation.
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Applegate earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1989 and a doctorate from MIT in 1994, both in geology. He soon turned his career toward policy by working for the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, first as an American Geophysical Union Congressional Science Fellow and then as an ordinary staff member.
“After five years of field work in the Death Valley region of California, I was curious how the knowledge gained studying the inner workings of the planet could aid policymakers in their decision-making,” he told the committee at his nomination hearing.
After his time as a congressional staff member, Applegate worked as director of government affairs for the American Geosciences Institute, a federation of geoscience societies. He also edited the institute’s magazine and wrote a regular policy column
Applegate joined USGS in 2004 as its first senior science adviser for earthquake and geological hazards and was appointed head of the Natural Hazards mission area in 2011. He became interim USGS director in January 2021, but the role remained without a nominee for over a year before Biden chose him for it this past March.
Reflecting on the role of USGS at the hearing, Applegate remarked, “It has a mandate that is neither regulatory nor policymaking but is instead tasked with this critical mission to deliver science that can be used by decision-makers to underpin policy and management decisions with credibility. On matters of science, it is an honest broker and straight shooter, delivering data and analysis about a wide range of hazards and resources.” He added that upholding the agency’s commitment to scientific integrity would be among his top priorities if confirmed.
One of Applegate’s earliest moves
Committee members did not raise the incidents, focusing instead on issues involving critical mineral supplies and energy resources.
Committee Chair Joe Manchin (D-WV) expressed concern about U.S. reliance on foreign supply chains for critical minerals, especially in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Putin has weaponized energy, and I’m concerned that Xi Jinping, the leader of the People’s Republic of China, will do the same with critical minerals since they process about 80%,” he said.
Addressing those concerns, Applegate highlighted the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), a USGS project to survey regions of the U.S. thought to harbor large concentrations of critical minerals that will receive $320 million over five years through the infrastructure law. He called the funding an “incredible shot in the arm” for the agency’s efforts in the area.
In addition, Applegate said USGS is working to understand global mineral resources and supply chains through its National Mineral Information Center. He also pointed to joint efforts with state geologic surveys and international partners, such as the U.S.-Canada Critical Minerals Working Group.
Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) asked about how USGS updates the list of minerals it deems critical to the U.S. economy and national security, which Congress requires it to maintain. Barrasso has criticized
In response, Applegate said the list is a “snapshot in time” that is continuously reviewed by the agency. He stressed the list does not comprise all “essential minerals” and instead reflects specific criteria such as vulnerability to supply chain disruptions.
Later in the hearing, Barrasso addressed the removal of helium specifically, pointing out that the war in Ukraine has exacerbated existing shortages
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), who once worked as a geologist, inquired about the role of USGS in advancing carbon sequestration, another priority area for the committee and the Biden administration. He asked whether USGS has plans to update its 2013 assessment
Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) asked about the prospect of using captured carbon dioxide to enhance the recovery of oil from existing reservoirs. Applegate noted USGS recently completed a study
“It’s using the same kinds of expertise that we’ve developed to understand where the oil and gas resources are for the nation [to understand] where the sequestration potential is as well,” he said.