EPA Enforcement Chief Quits for Wal - Mart

[velocity]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-EPA-Resignation.html

January 5, 2004
EPA Enforcement Chief Quits for Wal - Mart
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 6:51 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- One of the chief defenders of the Bush administration's environmental record on punishing polluters is resigning to become general counsel of the Sam's Club division of Wal-Mart.

John Peter Suarez, the Environmental Protection Agency's assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance, submitted his resignation to President Bush on Monday. It is effective Jan. 30.

Suarez said in his resignation letter that EPA had helped industry comply with environmental laws more than ever before and had in the past year notched ``dramatic increases in environmental and public health benefits.''


...more at article....

I wonder how many more rats will bail out. Could it be they do not see Bush winning in 04

[davidinalameda]

1. he'll get a discount on all that cheap plastic crap now

I don't think it's a matter of people not believing that Bush won't get re-elected but getting tired of the low pay in governmental service

I'm sure he'll make about 3 or 4 times what he's pulling down for the feds

[Dover]

2. Plus moving targets are harder to pin things on.

They seem to like to move people around in this administration, rotating them back and forth between the private sector and government. And if someone starts to get too hot under pressure from the press or courts, they cut them loose...and reduce their exposure. When Perle started taking the heat, he simply stepped back into the private sector, but held onto his influence.

[0rganism]

3. Good riddance to bad government

Every time something like this happens, it slows them down just a little bit. It's added friction in the machine.

Suddenly someone else has to be imported or promoted to do the job, and it takes a few weeks to get in the "rhythm". Even if the position is terminated completely (and what use does the bush regime have for EPA enforcement anyway?) other folks would have to pick up all his loose ends temporarily.

Win-win situation.

[Deja Q]

4. Misread

Sorry!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. That is very interesting, since WalMart is facing a major

lawsuit, in I believe Mass, over waste oil discharge... no wait, might be COnn... I can't remember right now.
Yes, I think I was driving through Conn when I heard a local NPR story on this.
i am sure he will be the defense atty for that.

Veeeeerrrrry Interesting.

[diamond14]

6. suarez saved corporations ONE BILLION dollars in EPA fines

-snips from NYT article-

For nearly a year and a half, Suarez, known as J.P., has overseen the office that presses environmental violations. He was confirmed for the job by the Senate in August 2002.


Environmentalists and some Democrats have contended the administration is less interested in environmental enforcement than former President Clinton's administration.

In the past year, EPA said it forced polluters to spend $2.9 billion on new controls and cleanups this year, about one-fourth less than in 2002, when it ordered companies to spend $3.9 billion.