Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 23, 1995 TAG: 9510230145
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
QUESTION: Three environmental groups recently gave the administration an F for its record on legislative, regulatory and budget matters. What is your response?
ANSWER: "This is certainly a political document, and we think it needs to be viewed as such. The groups - Sierra Club, Citizen Action and Clean Water Action - are political action groups that slanted the report to fit their own agenda."
Q: What grade do you think the administration deserves?
A: "Well I think the administration deserves an A. ... Our view is first and foremost that the natural resources of the commonwealth are resources that should be cared for through personal stewardship, that is, individuals, communities and corporations ... and that we need to re-energize citizen involvement in efforts to improve our environment."
Q: Do you think the environmental regulations and policies we have in place work?
A: "There have been instances where federal laws have been too broad and inflexible. The regulatory climate has become very difficult for individuals and businesses to operate in. ... It is absolutely imperative in a free society that the citizenry be able to operate, and review laws and regulations on a regular basis."
Q: Gov. Allen directed all agencies to review their regulations. The Department of Environmental Quality finished its first batch of 25 this summer. Your office has declined to release the results. When will the public see the information?
A: "I can't answer that specifically. ... I will make it very clear to you there will not be changes in regulations that do not have scrutiny by the public. I think we have gotten a bad rap on our interests in having the public involved."
Q: Why? Do you feel the administration is under siege?
A: "No, no, I don't feel that way at all. I think that some of the questions on these environmental polls are asked in ways that imply we are eliminating environmental regulations. We're not doing that. Second, I think the implication in some of them has been that we're not fully enforcing the law. ... That's not the case, either. ... Our first priority is to get individuals, communities and businesses into compliance with the law, and that means go, when we identify problems, explain to people what the problems are and explain how they can be fixed. If we find that people are just bad actors, if they just really are not going to get into compliance, then we have to take enforcement action. And I expect to do that."
Q: Past and present employees in the environmental agencies say morale is at an all-time low. Is there a problem in the agency?
A: "I think there's a fundamental morale problem whenever you're downsizing or rightsizing or changing the paradigm and structure of an agency. ... Now that we have the regional offices structured and we're getting the central office unified ... I think these kind of situations will start turning around. I can tell you, and you'll just have to decide whether to believe me or not, that I have met and worked with employees at DEQ that have said to me, `You are the first secretary we have ever met and talked to.' I have had many DEQ employees tell me that ... they think we are going in the right direction."
Q: Is it asking too much of people to take on programs and services now the responsibility of the state?
A: "I recognize that one might make that leap. ... Oftentimes people, when government is doing everything, tend to forget ... their personal stewardship responsibilities. All we're saying is, in the instance of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, `Hey listen, this is your river. I mean, this river is very important to your community, your lifestyle, to the whole future of your county or your city or town. And you need to pay attention to what's going on here. You need to know about managing watersheds so that we have less nutrient runoff and we don't [have] soil erosion. But it's your land and your river.'''
Q: If people are encouraged to be stewards of their community's natural resources, should they not be granted legal standing, the right to challenge environmental permits in court?
A: ``The first issue for me is, is Virginia going to be in charge of its own court system, or is it going to be dictated by federal government? This is the only issue that I have taken a position on publicly. ... Once that issue is resolved in Virginia's favor, then I think we can sit down at a table and talk about does everyone have appropriate access."
Q: Do you still think environmentalists should "claim victory and go home," as you were quoted in another publication this year?
A: "Actually, I think that the quote was inaccurate. The point I was making ... the work we need to be doing now ... is most effectively done in our communities, through encouraging, getting our kids educated, doing deeds of good stewardship to improve the environment."
by CNB