Whitman Vows to 'Transform' EPA
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Whitman intends to "transform the way the
EPA meets its mission" by seeking consensus instead of
confrontation with polluters -- Will
balance concern for the environment with the need for
economic growth.
Source: LA Times
Whitman Vows to 'Transform' EPA
Confirmation: Bush's choice to run the agency promises less
confrontation with polluters. Her approach worries
environmentalists.
By ELIZABETH SHOGREN, RICHARD T. COOPER, Times Staff Writers
WASHINGTON--If confirmed as
head of the Environmental Protection
Agency, New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd
Whitman said Wednesday that she intends
to "transform the way the EPA meets its
mission" by seeking consensus instead of
confrontation with polluters.
Although Whitman's approach worries environmental groups,
which frequently criticized her actions as governor, the nominee
was greeted warmly by Democrats and Republicans alike on the
Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works.
Whatever qualms the panel's more liberal members might have
about her environmental record, they consider her more acceptable
than other, more conservative candidates whom President-elect
George W. Bush might have chosen.
Whitman told the committee that, as EPA's head, she would
balance concern for the environment with the need for economic
growth by pursuing negotiation and compromise instead of
aggressive enforcement of laws and regulations. She followed that
model in New Jersey, she said.
"Instilling fear does not solve problems," Whitman said. "What
happens is that people back away from problem-solving and they
get in a defensive mode or end up in court. And it doesn't solve the
problem."
Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.), usually an outspoken partisan,
introduced Whitman to the committee by saying that Bush "has
made a very wise selection."
And although Democrats on the committee--including New
York's Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her first appearance on a Senate
panel--questioned Whitman closely about a variety of issues during
the three-hour hearing, none suggested that her confirmation is in
doubt.
In her testimony, Whitman reflected on evolving public attitudes
toward environmental protection over the last 30 years. "No longer
do we debate about 'whether' we need to act to protect our
environment. Instead, we discuss 'how' we can keep America
green while keeping our economy growing."
Because of this consensus, she said, the country is "on the cusp
of another major transformation.
"In my home state, we are moving beyond the 'command and
control' model of mandates, regulations and litigation. We are,
instead, working to forge strong partnerships among citizens,
government and business that are built on trust, cooperation and
shared mutual goals."
For many environmental activists, Whitman's talk of negotiating
with economic interests boils down to inviting the foxes into the
henhouse. They are waiting to see whether she keeps her promise
to "preserve the stick of enforcement" if the carrot fails.
The activists also are focusing their fire on Gale A. Norton, the
Interior secretary-designate whose views on public land use and
other issues are seen as much more pro-business. "Whitman comes
off as the least bad," said Arlie Schardt of Environmental Media
Services. "She has some very good accomplishments but also some
really bad ones." With Whitman's confirmation a foregone
conclusion, Democrats concentrated on trying to win commitments
from her on an array of specific issues, most of them tied to
home-state concerns.
Thus Clinton quizzed Whitman about an EPA timetable for
removing more than 1 million pounds of PCBs dumped into the
Hudson River by General Electric over a 30-year period.
Whitman declined to commit herself to a timetable for the
cleanup but noted that she has spent time in a kayak on it and
indicated that she considers it a special waterway.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) pressed Whitman on the gasoline
additive methyl tertiary butyl ether, MTBE, which reduces harmful
auto emissions but also contains carcinogens that have been linked
to ground water contamination in several states. Again, Whitman
promised only to review the issue.
Whitman's environmental record as governor is considered
mixed.
Along with seeking compromise rather than taking polluters to
court--arguing that approach yields quicker results at lower
cost--her New Jersey administration also reduced penalties and
gave polluters grace periods to correct their violations of
environmental law.
At the same time, she initiated a program to add a million acres
of open space over a 10-year period. She also led a successful
effort to hold coal-fired power plants in the Midwest responsible
for emissions that contributed to acid rain damage in Eastern states.
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