THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 31, 1997 TAG: 9701310002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 34 lines
In response to the Jan. 26 editorial condemning Governor Allen's environmental image, I can't help but question your motivation behind the criticism of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. I have had a working relationship with the DEQ office for the past three years and have witnessed firsthand the changes that the Allen administration has made.
When the DEQ was under the control of a liberal administration, your newspaper seldom voiced an opinion. During that time, it was standard practice at the DEQ to demand that costly reports be submitted prior to a strict deadline or face fines, penalties or prosecution. Sites that required immediate cleanup often sat for years until the DEQ could review the reports. Often, the cost of these reports exceeded the cleanup costs.
As a result, profits skyrocketed for lawyers and environmental consultants while cleanup efforts were delayed by the proverbial ``red tape.'' Regulators at the DEQ had very little guidance that prioritized sites by the greatest risk to human health or the environment.
Under Governor Allen's administration, risk-based site assessment is standard practice among environmental regulators. The Allen administration set guidelines to determine cleanup levels for polluted sites and standardized reports. These reports can often be completed by the ``client'' as opposed to expensive consulting firms.
Consequently, the caseload has been reduced, and for the first time since the inception of the DEQ, regulators now have time to evaluate pollution levels and approve cleanup plans immediately. Tax dollars that previously padded the pockets of lawyers and consultants now go toward cleanup efforts.
GARY ROPER
Chesapeake, Jan. 26, 1997