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Dear Senator: We are writing on behalf of our organizations' hundred of thousands of members to strongly urge you to oppose the nomination of J. Steven Griles as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. His career record and stance on environmental regulations deserves your serious consideration. The nomination of Steven Griles represents part of a larger pattern by the Bush Administration to reduce recent advancements in environmental conservation demanded by the American public. The Department of Interior (DOI) is mandated to conserve, restore and protect that Nation's precious natural and cultural heritage while providing access. Unfortunately, the initial candidates for many top positions within the department have a deep distrust of federal regulation and a desire to maximize opportunities for industry. Griles is just such a person, known for aggressively working to loosen environmental regulations and reduce the federal government's involvement on public lands. We believe he is not appropriate in the role as one of our nation's leading stewards. During the confirmation process of Interior Secretary Norton we conveyed our concerns that she would push forward a property rights and industry agenda. The selection of Griles is clearly the next step in promoting that agenda. Griles was a central figure under Reagan at DOI. During his tenure he earned a reputation as an advocate of fossil fuel and mining interests at the environment's expense. In particular, he: · Eviscerated the Office of Surface Mining (OSM). Under his watch its budget was slashed, staff cut and reorganized and morale plummeted. Critical enforcement actions by the office fell sharply. His actions were condemned by a bipartisan report from the House Government Operations committees during a 1985 confirmation hearing. · Aggressively promoted offshore oil leasing, particularly in California and Florida. In 1989, several California legislators, led by Rep. Mel Levine (D-CA), uncovered internal DOI documents showing Griles forced Minerals Management Service officials to delete oil-spill risk warnings from a report on several proposed offshore lease sales. · Strongly supported DOI's 1986 virtual giveaway of 82,000 acres of oil-shale lands for $3.50 per acre. DOI did this by choosing not to appeal a court decision allowing patenting of lands in question under the 1972 mining law. A House Appropriations Committee investigation found that the government might have received $250 billion in revenue if the lands were developed under a leasing arrangement, as is customary for oil resources on federal lands, rather than allowing the land to be patented. One of the claimholders patented 17,000 acres of the land in question for $42,500, and then sold the same land for $37 million. (Inside Energy, July 27, 1987). In light of this public record, we believe Griles cannot objectively carry out the responsibilities of Deputy Secretary of Interior. It's time to confront the Bush Administration's open hostility to the environment. Support the American public's demand for strong environmental safeguards and oppose this nomination. Sincerely, Brent Blackwelder William H. Meadow Larry Young Stephen D'Esposito |
