Leavitt's leaving

WASHINGTON — Gov. Mike Leavitt — confirmed Tuesday by a lopsided margin as head of the Environmental Protection Agency — will resign as Utah's chief executive one week from today to take up his new Bush administration post.

In reaction at a midday news conference at the state Capitol, Leavitt conceded the Senate's surprising 88-8 vote, following weeks of delays and attacks by Democrats, leaves him with "mixed" emotions, as he will relinquish a job he has held for 11 years — more than 20 percent of his life.

"It is a profound and important day," he said.

The governor said the Senate's action was gratifying, leaving him to pursue with optimism the task of "earning the trust and confidence of the 18,000 people who work for the EPA."

President Bush hailed the Senate for confirming Leavitt and added, "Gov. Leavitt is an exceptional leader who shares my commitment to reaching out across partisan lines to get things done.

"I know he will work closely with me to build upon my administration's initiatives to make our air and water cleaner, protect the land and use technology to improve our environment while our economy grows and creates jobs," Bush said.

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 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," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.

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 Parkway, 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, saying it ranks among the cleanest states on 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.

"I believe they are both beautiful and well-run states, just as I know Utah to be. I think it does mean, though, that the senators from these two states should be more careful about attempting to pin the 'polluter' label on my state and on my governor — and I'm not going to stand for it," Hatch said.