Senate confirms Utah governor as EPA chief

WASHINGTON — By a surprisingly lopsided margin, following weeks of delays and attacks by Democrats, the Senate voted 88-8 Tuesday to confirm Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The governor was holding a late morning news conference at the state Capitol to likely discuss the transfer of power to Lt. Gov. Olene Walker.

Leavitt spokeswoman Natalie Gochnour said the governor would resign Nov. 5.

Just before the Senate vote, Leavitt's critics fired a few parting shots at him. And the Democrats who did support Leavitt also launched volleys at President Bush and hoped aloud that Leavitt will change his environmental policies.

"Despite his commentary about balance and stewardship, Gov. Leavitt's record . . . reveals a disturbing tendency to place shortsighted economic gain for the regulated industries above protecting the long-term health of the public," Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said.

Lautenberg called Utah the nation's worst polluter, a charge also made Monday by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. Lautenberg also cited Leavitt's support of the Legacy Highway, which environmentalists say could jeopardize wetlands in Davis County. He accused Leavitt of being too slow to push cleanup of Kennecott mining pollution and said that the governor may have fired officials who helped indict his family's fish hatchery.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, fumed at the accusations, saying many were based on twisted assertions from environmental groups. Hatch defended Utah as ranks among the cleanest states in what he said are more objective lists.

He said Lautenberg's and Durbin's states rank worse in polluting the environment, so they shouldn't attack Utah.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., also took a shot at Leavitt for what she called "evasive" answers to Democratic questions.

"The fact he did not answer a number of my questions tells me that I am afraid that in the room when they are debating these issues, that Mike Leavitt will be a full team player with the Bush administration and not a team player for the health of the American people," she said.

But most senators in debate praised Leavitt's ability and integrity, while some made a distinction between their support for Leavitt and opposition to the Bush administration he is joining.

For example, Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vt., who once led a boycott of a committee meeting to delay a vote on Leavitt, said, "This vote should not be seen as an endorsement of the Bush administration's environmental policies, but as a vote in support of a fine and honorable man who has an extremely difficult job ahead."