Leavitt bracing for a D.C. squall

WASHINGTON — Gov. Mike Leavitt might have expected a storm of opposition to his nomination to be the next head of the Environmental Protection Agency. He probably didn't expect a hurricane.

As of Monday evening, Hurricane Isabel was bearing down on the nation's capital, threatening to send Congress scurrying and throwing into question Thursday's appearance by the Utah governor before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the first step in the Senate confirmation process.

Hurricane or not, Leavitt is immersing himself in environmental policy, poring over reams of documents about everything from Bush's Blue Skies air pollution initiative to the Kyoto Treaty, from Third World industrialization to global warming.

"They are materials prepared by the White House, background materials on environmental issues facing our country, and global issues, as well," said Natalie Gochnour, Leavitt's spokeswoman. The hearing is the first chance the public will have to hear Leavitt's stances on national and international environmental issues that could make or break his nomination as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The background information focuses on issues identified by the president's Council on Environmental Quality as concerns to various members of the 19-member committee. For example, Leavitt is being brought up to speed on concerns over air quality dangers resulting from 9/11 — issues raised by Democratic senators Joe Lieberman and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

And he's finding out what a lightning rod the EPA administrator can be, especially during a presidential campaign.

On Monday, Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., another presidential hopeful, said he would block Leavitt's nomination until the White House and the EPA move forward with a study into the health effects of "rollbacks" to the Clean Air Act. Edwards is not a member of the committee that will hear the nomination.

While Leavitt may have detractors, none were among his fellow Western governors, who unanimously endorsed his nomination Monday in Big Sky, Mont., at the Western Governors Association's annual meeting.

Governors from 18 Western states praised the three-term Utah governor as having a "keen understanding of environmental issues" and urged the U.S. Senate to expeditiously confirm his appointment.