Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Land, air, water in danger

Friday, March 29, 2002 | 9:07 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.

THEY KEEP BITING THE DUST while ranchers, miners and wealthy energy executives cheer. Who are they? About any federal public servant assigned to protect our environment who insists on doing his or her job in a responsible manner.

There is Tim Salt, a 27-year veteran of the Bureau of Land Management who was removed from managing the California Desert District, a job he had for three years. Then Martha Hahn was taken from her state directorship of the BLM in Idaho. Both actions were taken by J. Steven Griles, deputy secretary of the Interior. Griles is a former lobbyist for oil and coal industries. Hahn, a civil servant, refused a transfer to the National Park Service overseeing New York Harbor operations.

Eric V. Schaeffer, a top EPA official, wasn't fired; he quit because of White House policies that he believes could destroy the quality of the air we breathe. It was only last summer that Schaeffer received the Justice Department's John Marshall Award for outstanding public service. His supporters are both environmentalists and industry lawyers who have had to deal with him.

The outgoing official in a letter to his boss, Christie Whitman, said that recent White House proposals "would turn narrow exceptions into larger loopholes." He went on to give examples of companies now refusing to sign cleanup consent decrees they agreed to sign 15 months ago. The company executives no longer see a need in complying with clean air rules because the White House is pulling the teeth from EPA enforcement. His public resignation could change this trend.

So who are some of these people gutting the agencies assigned to protecting our water, air, land and other natural resources? In addition to Griles, here are some samples provided by the Wilderness Society:

Visitors to Bryce Canyon National Park have noticed the improvements during recent years. Almost two weeks ago the park superintendent the past 10 years, Fred Fagergren, announced his retirement rather than accept a new assignment. The NPS spokesman said they wanted him in a new assignment while unspecified allegations were being investigated. Fagergren told Christopher Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune:

"I've requested information on their investigation and have received no response, which is very confusing, but I'm just going to go ahead and retire rather than accept this transfer. My gut feeling is if there was something untoward discovered, they would have put it out there. It's frustrating, but I'll do fine and I'm leaving the park in much better shape than it was."

Americans had better keep their eyes on what is happening in federal agencies assigned to environmental protection. If they don't, they will wake up some day and find their losses can't be brought back from the dead. We have made great progress in providing cleaner water and air for future generations. Also wilderness areas, monuments, new parks and protected rare species have been added to our quality of life. All of this has been done over the objections of many people who are now making new policies and weakening policies already in place.