OVEC Action Alert - September 28, 2002

Dear Citizens Coal Council Members and Allies:

Since he has been in office George W. Bush has had a contract out on the environment and has done everything he can to weaken our environmental laws and increase exploitation of our natural resources at any cost. A key part of this strategy has been to appoint former industry lobbyists to head some of the top environmental posts in the country. This has been especially true at the Department of the Interior which is currently composed of some of the most anti-regulatory and industry friendly staff since the days of James Watt under the Regan Administration. These (former) industry lobbyists have been wreaking havoc on our environment by weakening the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act (through changing the "definition of fill rule) and by pushing for an increase in mining, drilling and logging on our public lands.

The worst of the bunch is J. Steven Griles, Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Interior. Before his appointment Griles was a lobbyist for over 40 coal, oil, gas and electric companies and trade associations including: Arch Coal, American Gas Association, National Mining Association, Occidental Petroleum Corporation and many others. You may also remember Griles from his previous stint at the Interior Department, where he was Deputy Director of the Office of Surface Mining ( 3/81-8/83), Deputy Assistant Secretary of Land and Water ( 8/83 8/84) and Assistant Secretary Land and Minerals Management, 8/84 3/89). While at the Interior Department Griles tried to gut the Office of Surface Mining, supported the virtual giveaway of thousand of oil-shale lands out west, aggressively promoted off shore drilling of the coast of California and removed the Congressional moratorium on leasing additional coal.

Since his new appointment to the Interior Department Griles has continued lobbying for his oil, gas and coal industry friends. Despite a recusal agreement stating that he would not be involved in any issues affecting his former clients for one year, Griles continues to work hard to increase coal energy production, increase mountaintop removal mining, decrease coal power plant air pollution standards and increase subsidies to the coal industry.

In fact, CCC and Friends of the Earth have discovered that Griles has met with a number of his former clients and top White House officials on the definition of fill rulemaking, the New Source Review, a coal fired power plant rulemaking, and the development of thousands of coal bed methane wells in the West. On top of all of this Griles has a continuing financial arrangement with one of his previous companies, National Environmental Strategies, in which he is receiving $284,000 annually for the next four years. National Environmental Strategies has a number of energy clients that could benefit greatly from decisions Mr. Griles makes in his position at the Department of the Interior.

HERES WHAT CAN YOU DO!!!!

CCC and Friends of the Earth (FOE) have set their sights on getting rid of Griles and his corporate agenda. We are calling on Senator Jeff Bingaman and our friends on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee to hold hearings investigating Griles conflict of interest. We are asking all member groups and individuals to make calls or write to the Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Jeffery Bingaman (D-NM) asking for hearings on Griles. If one of the below Senators is your Senator please call or write them and ask them to push for hearings investigating Steve Griles. Please find a draft letter for your use below (also available in PDF and .doc formats).

Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) (202) 224- 5521

Senator Byron Dorgan (D- ND) (202) 224-2551

Senator Ronald Wyden (D-OR) (202) 224-5244

Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) (202) 224-5623

Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) (202) 224-3441

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) (202) 224-6542

Senator Robert Graham (D-FL) (202) 224-3041

We have also enclosed the press release send by CCC and FOE, newspaper coverage in the Washington Post and additional information on Griles' meetings if you are interested.

For even further information you can view FOEs Interior Department watchdog website.

Let's spread the word and get this guy, for all citizens!

Andrew Taylor
Program and Development Coordinator
Citizens Coal Council
1705 South Pearl Street #5
Denver, CO 80210
303-722-9119
ccc6@mindspring.com
www.citizenscoalcouncil.org

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Draft Letter: (also available in PDF and .doc format)

Senator ____________
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20240

September 25, 2002

Dear Senator _______:

We are writing to express our concern about the conflicts of interest surrounding Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles. The Washington Post ("Official's Lobbying Ties Decried, September 25, 2002") recently revealed a wide range of conflicts of interest and examples of Griles continuing to work from the Interior Department on behalf of former industry clients. I urge you to call on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to immediately hold oversight hearings into these conflicts of interest.

The Post article revealed that Mr. Griles has continued to meet with and work on major issues of interest to his former clients, in violation of multiple recusal agreements. In May 2002, he attempted to pressure the EPA to change an analysis criticizing the environmental impacts of a coal bed methane project in Wyoming's Powder River Basin. Mr. Griles previously lobbied on behalf of several coal bed methane companies involved in drilling gas wells on public lands in this region.

He also has a continuing financial arrangement with one of his previous companies, National Environmental Strategies, in which he is receiving $284,000 annually for the next four years. National Environmental Strategies has a number of energy clients that could benefit greatly from decisions Mr. Griles makes in his position at the Department of the Interior.

As you know, Mr. Griles lobbied for more than 40 coal, oil, gas, and electric companies and trade associations before President Bush nominated him to his post at the Interior Department. Since his confirmation, he has continued to meet with these companies and to advocate for policy changes and rulemakings that will benefit them. In particular, he has met numerous times with industry groups advocating major rollbacks to the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.

We believe that public officials must maintain high ethics standards in order to maintain the public's confidence in the integrity of government actions. As an employee of a public agency, Deputy Secretary Griles should represent the public and not his previous energy companies. Mr. Griles has been involved in critical and controversial public policy decisions air pollution, water pollution and public lands protection. His conflicts of interest appear to compromise his ability to represent the public interest in these decisions, which will have major impacts on communities and the environment.

Due to the seriousness of this matter and the effect it could have on the integrity of the Department of the Interior we urge you to work with the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to immediately hold hearings into this matter.

Sincerely,

Cc: Senator Jeffery Bingaman
Senator Joseph Lieberman