Word: burford
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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When the Administration needed a caretaker for the battered Environmental Protection Agency as it searched for a permanent replacement for departing Administrator Anne Burford, John Hernandez seemed a perfect choice. A water-pollution expert and former dean of engineering at New Mexico State University, Hernandez had distinguished himself as one of the few top EPA officials not caught in the crossfire of charges about sweetheart deals, political manipulation, conflict of interest and mismanagement. Some of his colleagues caustically pointed out that he could credit his clean slate at least in part to his exclusion from the agency's decision...
...safe choice for acting administrator has turned into an exploding cigar for the White House. By week's end three House subcommittees and the EPA's inspector general were probing a spate of charges that Hernandez made improper decisions benefiting industry. Reagan aides, who had hoped that Burford's ouster would provide some breathing space and subdue the impression that the Administration has favored polluters, were foiled. Groused one White House official: "Every time we turn around, something is screwed up over there...
...first, things seemed to be going well. Although his chances were slim, Hernandez began actively campaigning to keep his job, signaling the White House that he could improve the agency's tarnished image. In a sharp contrast to the deep personnel and money cuts supported by Burford, he prepared supplemental budgets seeking more congressional funds. He also dismissed EPA Official Louis Cordia, who two years ago compiled a "hit list" of ideologically suspect agency employees...
...documents, looking for a trail of evidence that would lead to the White House. On Thursday the White House, which had long insisted that its files contained no internal reports on the notorious Stringfellow toxic dump in California, admitted that it did have two EPA reports confirming that Burford prepared to announce a grant to clean up Stringfellow last year but changed her mind at the last minute. There have been charges that the Administration delayed the cleanup in an effort to hurt the Senate campaign of Democratic Governor Jerry Brown...
...feeling about the environment, especially the concern about poisonous-waste disposal. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released March 5 showed that a majority of Americans believe the President would rather protect polluters than clean up the environment, and found the public nearly as critical of Reagan as of Burford. Though his aides say Reagan's environmental policy will not shift direction with a change at the top of EPA, they hope to convince the public that the Administration is serious about cleaning up toxic wastes. In a way Burford's departure raises the stakes. "Anne was taking...