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Bush Names Utah Gov. to Run EPA
Environmentalists call Mike Leavitt a 'dramatic lurch rightward' from former chief Christie Whitman. Industry praises the nomination.

By Elizabeth Shogren and Edwin Chen, Times Staff Writers

DENVER — President Bush nominated Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt on Monday to head the Environmental Protection Agency, again turning to his fraternity of governors to help him address the nation's problems.

In Leavitt, Bush chose a like-minded Republican who wants to shift authority over pollution control from the federal government to the states and who favors voluntary cleanups by industry rather than mandatory government regulations.

Leavitt "rejects the old ways of command and control from above," Bush said. He hailed the 52-year-old, three-term governor as "a trusted friend" and a man who "understands the obligations of environmental stewardship."

Industry groups, applauding Leavitt's nomination, said he would take a balanced approach to pollution control.

But environmentalists said Leavitt had a poor record on protecting Utah's air, water and land and would probably weaken environmental protections nationwide in the lead job at EPA.