Bush taps Leavitt to head EPA

WASHINGTON (Aug. 12)—President Bush has nominated Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt to replace Christie Whitman as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Leavitt, in his third term as Utah governor, is known for his low-key style and his advocacy of increasing state and local authority to set environmental policy. Congressional Republicans and business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hailed Leavitt's nomination, but Democrats and environmental groups blasted Leavitt as someone who would turn back environmental progress. The Tire Industry Association declined comment on Leavitt's nomination. A spokesman for the Rubber Manufacturers Association said that while the RMA knew little about Leavitt, he seemed from his record to be "a fairly sound choice" who sought consensus from all sides in the environmental debate.