Watching Government: More, better, faster

Dec. 15, 2003
The US Environmental Protection Agency's new administrator Mike Leavitt struck a conciliatory tone in his inaugural speech to employees and reporters earlier this month.

The US Environmental Protection Agency's new administrator Mike Leavitt struck a conciliatory tone in his inaugural speech to employees and reporters earlier this month. Outlining a 500-day "action plan" to improve air quality, the former Utah governor said he wants to replace conflict with common sense and collaboration.

"Real environmental problem-solving takes place in the productive center, not at the emotional extremes," he said. "The productive center is the place where the best ideas compete and a fair process for decision-making exists."

Wrapping up

He cited his work with the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP) as an example of successful collaboration; WRAP's state, federal, and tribal officials agreed on a blueprint to improve visibility in western parks and wilderness areas.

"Collaboration does not eliminate litigation, but it can minimize it. Collaboration doesn't take away hard decisions, but it improves acceptance," said Leavitt. "They [good collaborations] elevate the ideas that create faster progress, better innovation, newer technology. They become the successes that show us the way."

One way to get more successes is to expand cap-and-trade programs, he said.

"The cap-and-trade approach shows us again and again that people do more and they do it faster when they have an incentive to do what is in the public's interest," he said. "More, better, faster, newer... that's the tune you will hear from me."

Polarizing figure

Following the speech, environmentalists remained skeptical about Leavitt's pledge for balance.

"When Leavitt spits out this inane slogan of "more, better, faster, newer," I think we ought to recognize it for what it is—mere spin to mask blatant proindustry actions," said Frank O'Donnell of the Clean Air Trust (CAT).

CAT and several other environmental groups criticized Leavitt's two new proposals. Each involves cap-and-trade programs: the first seeks to cut down interstate pollution of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides; the other imposes rules on mercury emissions from industrial facilities, mainly power plants. Environmentalists say both cap-and-trade plans are flawed because they postpone cleanups needed to meet public health standards.

Energy trade associations have largely avoided commenting on Leavitt, perhaps for fear industry may hurt the former governor's public credibility if they praise him. One exception has been electric utility group the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council (ERCC).

"EPA is going to work hard to do things better, faster, more efficiently," predicted ERCC spokesman Frank Maisano. ERCC also defended Leavitt's plan to expand cap-and-trade programs.

"Proper cap-and-trade initiatives can reduce emissions faster and more cost effectively than old-fashioned 'command and control' programs," added ERCC's Scott Segal, an attorney with Bracewell Patterson law firm. "Cap-and-trade programs have been supported by the Clinton administration reinventing government initiatives as well as by environmental organizations, industry groups, and regulators. There is a clear consensus in favor of cap-and-trade."