Doc Hastings represents Washington’s Fourth Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/h000329/ Hastings is chair of the House Natural Resources Committeehttp://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=59 The Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over most federal land use and water policies including the national forests, national parks and monuments, wilderness areas and reservations.http://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=59 Hastings also serves as co-chair of the Northwest Energy Caucus.http://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=59

As chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, Hastings is responsible for overseeing the reorganization of the Minerals Management Service after the BP oil spill.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011905838.html The agency has been split into two separate organizations.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011905838.html The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will be in charge of the development of offshore energy.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011905838.html The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement will enforce safety regulation.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011905838.html

Doc Hastings grew up in Pasco, Washington, graduating from Pasco High School.http://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=2 He studied business administration at Columbia Basin College and Central Washington University.http://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=2 After college, he managed his family’s business, Columbia Basin Paper and Supply.http://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=2

Hastings served in Washington State’s House of Representatives from 1979 to 1987.http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/h000329/ During his tenure, Hastings was selected as Assistant Majority Leader and Republican Caucus Chairman.http://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=2 He took time off from politics in 1988 until his run for his position in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994.http://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=2

Hastings is founder of the Congressional Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, which promotes the cleanup of nuclear waste sites.http://hastings.house.gov/Biography/ The Hanford Nuclear Site is located in Richmond, Washington in the Fourth District.http://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/ContactUs The Hanford site was selected by the federal government during World War II as the site create plutonium.http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/CLEANUP.NSF/0903AE66D99736E188256F04006C2D3A/045F8399CAA1B6BD882573FC0069B078?OpenDocument The site continued to expand during the cold war and eight additional reactors were built.http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/CLEANUP.NSF/0903AE66D99736E188256F04006C2D3A/045F8399CAA1B6BD882573FC0069B078?OpenDocument These reactors were closed between 1964 and 1971 as the focus of the plant shifted from defense to alternative energy research.http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/CLEANUP.NSF/0903AE66D99736E188256F04006C2D3A/045F8399CAA1B6BD882573FC0069B078?OpenDocument

One task of the Natural Resources Committee is to produce more energy within the United States.http://hastings.house.gov/Biography/ The committee has control over hydropower, and oil and gas reserves on federal lands.http://hastings.house.gov/Biography/ Hastings is a proponent of nuclear, wind and solar energy in addition to gas and oil.http://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=59 He also supports hydropower, water conservation and legislation that would protect dams.http://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=59

Doc serves on the following committees:

• Natural Resources Committee, Chairhttp://hastings.house.gov/Biography/
• Northwest Energy Caucus, co-Chairhttp://hastings.house.gov/Biography/
• Specialty Crop Caucus, memberhttp://hastings.house.gov/Biography/
• Rural Health Care Coalition, memberhttp://hastings.house.gov/Biography/
• Nuclear Waste Cleanup Caucus, founder and Chairhttp://www.dochastings.com/content/?page_id=2