Columnist Benjamin Grove: Reid, Inhofe symbols of environmental fight

Benjamin Grove

Friday, April 25, 2003 | 5:18 a.m.

The 33rd observance of Earth Day passed relatively quietly last week in the nation's capital. With Congress on a spring break, there was pollen and pollution in the April breeze, but no hot air.

Still, battles among Washington politicians over environmental policy are more heated today than they were in 1970, when former Wisconsin governor and U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson helped found the first Earth Day. His goals: to raise public awareness and pressure elected leaders to focus on the environment.

Today those leaders are, in fact, debating many environmental issues, new and old. Look no further than Nevada's own Sen. Harry Reid and Oklahoma Republican James Inhofe.

Inhofe this year took the reins as chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, with Reid as one of the panel's top Democrats. They sit near each other, but their views on the government's role in environmental protection are often far apart.

Reid routinely ranks among the Senate's highest-scorers in environmental group report cards. Inhofe is among the Green lobby's least-liked lawmakers. As George Will wrote in a Newsweek column last week, Inhofe is a former developer who ran for the Senate in part out of vengeance for federal environmental regulations. "I'm personally the best thing that has happened to the environmental movement for fund-raising," Inhofe once said.

"Personally, I like him," Reid said of Inhofe. "We just have some different views about the environment."

The pairing of Reid and Inhofe on the environment panel often reflects the partisan split in Washington on the environment. The two men disagree on many of the details on the issues that make up this year's panel agenda (that is to say, Inhofe's agenda): Bush's air quality legislation, reauthorizing transportation programs, and chemical and nuclear plant security.

In an interview, Reid said that among his top environmental goals this year were pushing for more tax breaks and programs to spur alternative energy development; passing stricter rules and regulations for transporting nuclear waste; spending more money to protect Northern Nevada rivers and Lake Tahoe; and a continued ban on oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"There isn't one thing that isn't going to be difficult (under Inhofe)," Reid said. "Everything's going to be tough."

The fight over whether to drill for oil at ANWR was an early example of that. Reid helped lead debate against drilling; Inhofe was a passionate voice on the opposite side. Inhofe was "extremely disappointed" when the Senate this month narrowly voted to keep ANWR drilling out of an energy bill. The vote was biggest victory for the Democrats on the environment this year, Reid said. "I hope it's dead," he added.

But there are plenty of other issues left to fight over. Reid and Inhofe also differ on the Clean Air Act. Environmentalists have accused the Bush administration and Inhofe of trying to weaken air pollution standards. Reid said Congress should "leave (the act) alone."

Reid and Inhofe also are not likely to agree on the programs of the Environmental Protection Agency, which was created in 1970 just months after the first Earth Day. The panel oversees the agency.

These days Administrator Christie Whitman is a lightning rod for controversy -- for doing too much in the eyes of some of her fellow Republicans, and not enough for many Democrats.

Reid called Whitman a disappointment. The EPA's budget request for fiscal year 2004 is less than last year's because the agency chief isn't a leader for the environment, he said.

"Christie Todd Whitman isn't living up to what we expected her to do," Reid said.

Of course, it's not just Inhofe and Reid who are slugging it out -- lots of politicians and activists at every level, inside and outside the Beltway, are at war over the environment.

President Bush last week said that three decades after the first Earth Day, "our air is cleaner, our water is purer, and our lands and natural resources are better protected." Meanwhile last week more than a dozen national environmental groups bashed Bush for his attempts to undermine air, water, toxic waste and land preservation laws.

As for Earth Day founder Nelson, now 86, he's still trying to get the attention of politicians. He stopped by the National Press Club here last week to shine a spotlight on his latest concern -- managing population growth. Nelson said the nation's 290 million people could swell to 500 million later this century. That means more cars, more roads, more infrastructure and more pollution, he said.

So far, Nelson hasn't gotten much attention for that issue. But Nelson got one wish -- Thirty-three years later politicians are talking more about the environment.

Now Nelson may be wondering: Is anybody listening?