THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 31, 1996 TAG: 9607310462
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 36 lines
Dueling commissions will get to work this week evaluating Gov. George F. Allen's environmental record.
A Democrat-appointed panel will meet Thursday to look into environmentalists' concerns about Allen slashing enforcement staff and seeking to eliminate some regulations.
But Allen got the jump on the Democrats Tuesday by naming a group to make what he termed ``balanced'' recommendations.
Competing commissions are fast becoming a standard feature on the highly partisan landscape of the Virginia General Assembly. Last year, Allen appointed a juvenile justice panel after Democratic lawmakers had embarked on their own study.
Earlier this year, the General Assembly established a Democrat-inspired subcommittee to look into various environmental issues, including funding for the state Department of Environmental Quality.
Some Democrats say the Allen administration has been so accommodating to polluters that many career DEQ staffers fear they could lose their job if they enforce environmental regulations.
Republican lawmakers persuaded Allen to appoint his own commission, in part to inoculate Attorney General James Gilmore III - the presumed GOP candidate for governor next year - from any ``green'' fallout.
``George Allen has finally figured out that the environment is his albatross right now,'' said House Speaker Thomas W. Moss Jr., D-Norfolk.
Allen said critics ignore recent measures that show improvement in the state's water and air quality. But he played down the role of federal laws such as the Clean Air Act, saying that a ``significant portion'' of reduced pollutants can be traced to voluntary efforts by industry.
``Most individuals want to do right,'' he said. by CNB