On  July 28, 2009, the Whitehouse issued a press release indicating President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor.

 Dr. Michaels holds PhD and MPH degrees and is an epidemiologist and currently Research Professor at George Washington University’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health I the University’s School of Public Health and Health Services. According to the press statement, Dr. Michaels has conducted numerous studies of the health effects of occupational exposure to toxic chemicals, including asbestos, metals and solvents, and has written extensively on science and regulatory policy.  From 1998 to 2001, Dr. Michaels served as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety and Health, and was responsible for protecting the health and safety of workers, neighboring communities and the environment surrounding the nation’s nuclear weapons facilities.