|
|
Web posted
Monday, February 18, 2002
EPA asks industry to provide priorities
By Alaska Oil & Gas Reporter Staff
John Iani, newly appointed administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 10, says he has gotten his priorities straight just a few months into the job.
Iani, who was born and raised in Alaska, was a commercial fishing industry advocate and attorney as well as a former aide to Sen. Frank Murkowski and Rep. Don Young, both Alaska Republicans. He was appointed Region 10 administrator in September.
Iani, the featured speaker at the Resource Development Council for Alaska breakfast forum Feb. 7, said he returned to Washington Jan. 15 to meet with EPA Administrator Christine Whitman and other regional administrators.
When asked for his top priorities, Iani said he produced a short list of three items for Region 10, which covers the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Iani said his top priorities are:
Smoothing the way for Alaska oil and gas development, because it dovetails with President Bush's national energy policy and is one of the biggest issues for the region;
Resolving a long-running cleanup of a Superfund site in northern Idaho; and
Developing ways to preserve the endangered salmon runs of the Columbia River Basin and its tributaries.
Iani said Whitman and her staff were completely supportive of his priorities and his plans for tackling them.
"Gov. Whitman understands that problems need to be solved at the local level," he said.
Iani said Alaska is well-positioned in Washington because Whitman is working for the state's interests.
However, Alaska's public and industry leaders should take the lead in working for Alaska interests and set priorities of their own to bring to EPA, he observed.
"Give us your real priorities, not 40 projects, but those you really want done, and we'll try to see that they happen," Iani said.
Iani also warned Alaska's resource industries to be careful about "trying to take out" the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, because if DEC falls, then EPA would step into the breach, but likely move at a much slower pace.
"It's important for industry to have a good relationship with the state, otherwise you could end up with total gridlock" like some states, such as Louisiana where development of many projects are blocked, Iani said.
|
|
