Biography
Over the past 25 years, Probst has conducted numerous analyses of environmental programs, focusing mainly on improving the implementation of Superfund and other hazardous waste management programs. She was the lead author of the study, Superfund's Future: What Will it Cost?, requested by Congress, on the estimated cost of the Superfund program to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from FY 2000 through FY 2009. Her 2004 study, Success for Superfund, includes recommendations for specific information EPA should make readily available to the public on all Superfund sites, in a site "report card." In February 2004, Probst organized a workshop at RFF on estimating the economic impacts from the reuse of contaminated properties. Probst's most recent work is a short policy paper Combating Global Warming: One Car at a Time, where she proposes that EPA require a C02 emissions label for all new cars and light trucks.
Probst also has investigated issues related to the use of institutional controls at contaminated sites, long-term stewardship, and the cleanup of sites in the nuclear weapons complex. She was a member of U.S. EPA's Superfund NACEPT Subcommittee and is a member of a new EPA Science Advisory Committee looking at analyses of benefits of the Superfund program. Probst frequently speaks on issues related to Superfund, land use and institutional controls, long-term stewardship, and the cleanup of the nuclear weapons complex.
M.A. in city and regional planning, Harvard University, 1980.
B.A. in government and American studies, Wesleyan University, 1978.
Professional Experience
Senior Fellow, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C. 1994 - present.
Director, Risk, Resource, and Environmental Management Division, Resources for the Future, Washington, DC. May 1, 2004 - September 30, 2006.
Fellow, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C. 1991 - 1994.
Consultant-in-residence, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C. 1990 - 1991.
Director of Planning and Marketing, Clean Sites, Inc. Alexandria, VA, 1990.
Senior Policy Analyst, Public Policy and Education, Clean Sites, Inc., Alexandria, VA, 1988 - 1990.
Program Administrator, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Psychiatry Service, Washington, D.C., 1987 - 1988.
Program Director, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, Washington, D.C. 1984 - 1987.
Deputy Director, New York Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Regulatory Review, New York, New York, 1983 - 1984.
Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Management Systems and Evaluation, Washington, D.C., 1980 - 1983.
Journal Articles
Public and Private Sector Financing of Hazardous Waste Facilities Thomas C. Beierle and Katherine N. Probst City Development Strategies | First Quarter 2000 | No. 2
Hazardous Waste Management: Lessons from Eight Countries Katherine N. Probst and Thomas C. Beierle Environment | November 1999 | Vol. 41, No. 9 | pp. 22-30
The Challenge Ahead Katherine N. Probst and Michael McGovern Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy | Summer 1999
Grounding Hazardous Waste Cleanups: A Promising Remedy? Kris Wernstedt, Robert Hersh, and Katherine N. Probst Land Use Policy | November 1998 | Vol. 16, No. 1 | pp. 45-55 | Related Discussion Paper 98-03
Reforming Superfund: Who Will Pay? Katherine N. Probst Maryland Journal of Contemporary Legal Issues | 1996 - 1997 | Vol. 8, Issue 1
Stand Down and Recommit the EPA to the Public Katherine N. Probst The Environmental Forum | September/October 1993
The EPA at "Thirtysomething" Katherine N. Probst, Paul R. Portney, and Adam M. Finkel Environmental Law | 1991 | Vol. 21, No. 4 | pp. 1461-1475
Redirecting Superfund Dollars Katherine N. Probst New Approaches on Energy and the Environment: Policy Advice for the President | Richard D. Morgenstern and Paul R. Portney, eds. | RFF Press | 2004 | Chapter 14
Superfund's Future: What Will it Cost?
Katherine N. Probst and David M. Konisky with Robert Hersh, Michael B. Batz, and Katherine D. Walker RFF Press | 2001
Evaluating the Impact of Alternative Superfund Financing Schemes
Katherine N. Probst Analyzing Superfund Economics, Science and Law | Richard L. Revesz and Richard B. Stewart, editors | RFF Press | 1995 Chapter 6, pp. 145 - 168
Assigning Liability for Superfund Cleanups
Katherine N. Probst and Paul R. Portney
RFF Report | January 1992
Improving Remedy Selection: An Explicit and Interactive Process for the Superfund Program
Katherine N. Probst et al. Clean Sites, Inc. | October 1990
Hazardous Waste Sites and the Rural Poor: A Preliminary Assessment
Katherine N. Probst Clean Sites, Inc. | March 1990
Making Superfund Work
Katherine N. Probst and Nancy Newkirk Clean Sites, Inc. | January 1989
The National Hazardous Waste Land Disposal Restrictions: Better Data, Clearer Policy Needed to Make Them Work
Katherine N. Probst Environmental and Energy Study Institute | October 1987
Statutory Deadlines in Environmental Legislation: Necessary But Need Improvement
Katherine N. Probst et al. Energy Study Institute/Environmental Law Institute | September 1985
Short Articles, Issue Briefs, and Other Publications
Whithering Superfund Katherine N. Probst The Environmental Forum | July/August 2005 | Volume 22, Number 4 | p. 21 Published by the Environmental Law Institute.
Superfund's Future Katherine N. Probst Environmental Forum | March/April 2002 | Vol. 19, No. 2 | pp. 32-41
Book review, "The Superfund Debate," of "Calculating Risks: The Spatial and Political Dimensions of Hazardous Waste Policy," by Hamilton/Viscusi Katherine N. Probst Issues in Science & Technology | Fall 2000 | Vol. XVII, No. 1
A Conflicting Agenda Katherine N. Probst Radwaste Solutions | July/August 2000 | pp. 56-57
A Conflicting Agenda Katherine N. Probst Radwase Solutions | July/August 2000 | pp. 56-57
Future Challenges Facing the Superfund Enforcement Program Kate Probst Superfund Enforcement at 25: Learning from the Past/Looking to the Future | EPA-ELI | Washington, DC | December 13, 2005 Panel Discussion
Managing Problems that Won't Go Away Katherine N. Probst RFF First Wednesday Seminar | Resources for the Future | RFF, Washington, DC | June 1, 2005
Superfund Program: New Directions Katherine N. Probst ALI-ABA Conference on Hazardous Substances, Site Remediation and Enforcement | ALI-ABA and the Environmental Law Institute | Washington, DC | April 21, 2005
The Future Costs of Superfund Katherine N. Probst EPA's NACEPT Superfund Subcommittee | Washington, DC | September 1, 2002
Key Issues for Superfund's Future Katherine N. Probst Information Network Superfund Settlements Conference | Information Network Superfund Settlements | Washington, DC | April 1, 2001
Long-Term Stewardship at Contaminated Sites: The Challenge Ahead Katherine N. Probst U.S. Department of Energy - Environmental Management Advisory Board Subcommittee Meeting | DOE-EMAB | Washington, D.C. | July 1, 1998 National Environmental Policy Institute Conference, Democratizing Environmental Policy: Setting the Agenda, Washington, D.C., April 1999.
The Role of Institutional Controls Katherine N. Probst Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials Annual Meeting | ASTSWMO | Arlington, VA | May 1, 1998
Hazardous Waste Management Programs in Eight Countries Katherine N. Probst and Thomas C. Beierle The World Bank | Washington, D.C. | April 23, 1998
Long-Term Stewardship at Sites in the Nuclear Weapons Complex: The Challenge Ahead Katherine N. Probst Environmental Policy Seminar | Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute | Rutgers, NJ | October 1, 1997
Cleaning Up the Nuclear Weapons Complex: Exploring New Approaches Katherine N. Probst Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation | Washington, D.C. | October 1, 1996
The Many Definitions of Land Use and its Role in Superfund Cleanups Katherine N. Probst, Kris Wernstedt, Robert Hersh RFF Wednesday Seminar Series | Resources for the Future | Washington, D.C. | May 1, 1996
The Future of Environmental Liability Katherine N. Probst University of Maryland Environmental Law Program Conference | University of Maryland Environmental Law Program | Baltimore, MD | April 1, 1996
The Economic Impact of Alternative Superfund Financing Katherine N. Probst New York University School of Law | New York, NY | December 1, 1993
Assigning Liability for Superfund Cleanups: An Analysis of Policy Options Katherine N. Probst National Commission on Superfund | Washington, D.C. | May 1, 1993
Financial Implications of Alternative Superfund Financing Katherine N. Probst American Bar Association Environmental Tax Committee Meeting | ABA | Washington, D.C. | May 1, 1993
Data Needs for Superfund Reauthorization Katherine N. Probst U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund Reauthorization Task Force | EPA | Washington, D.C. | May 1, 1993
Assessing the Financial Impact of Alternative Superfund Financing Schemes Katherine N. Probst Eastern Economics Association (EEA) Annual Meeting | EEA | Washington, D.C. | March 1, 1993
Superfund Reform: Policy Considerations Katherine N. Probst International City Management Association's (ICMA) Superfund Consortium Conference | ICMA | Washington, D.C. | March 1, 1993
Professional Activities
Reviewer: Contemporary Economic Policy Environmental Management Environmental Science and Technology
Public Service
Presented testimony on the need for oversight of the Superfund program before the Superfund Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, June 15, 2006.
Member, National Research Council's Committee on Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites, March 2006 - present.
Member, U.S. EPA NACEPT Superfund Subcommittee, June, 2002 - April, 2004.
Formber Member, U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Management Advisory Board.
"The Strengths and Weaknesses of Current Superfund Law." Testimony delivered to the U.S. Senate, Committee on Environment and Public Works, Subcommittee on Superfund Waste Control and Risk Assessment, March 10, 1995.
Presented testimony on the implications of eliminating retroactive liability in Superfund before the Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Control and Risk Assessment of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, March 10, 1995.
Member, U.S. EPA NACEPT Superfund Evaluation Subcommittee 1993-1994.
Presented testimony on the costs of the Administration's Superfund reform bill and other major Superfund legislative proposals before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials, February 1994.
Presented testimony on the strengths and weaknesses of the current Superfund liability scheme and alternative approaches before the Subcommittee on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources, of the House Committee on Government Operations, November 1993.
Presented testimony on the strengths and weaknesses of the current Superfund program before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials, April 1993.
Presented testimony on the financial implications of alternative Superfund financing schemes before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, August 1992.
