(This discussion began in the comments on an unrelated thread and I think it deserves a stand-alone place in our front-page conversation – promoted by Sue Prent)
Vermonters for a Clean Environment has been looking into the composition of the Natural Resources Board, which consists of the Natural Resources Panel and the Water Resources Panel, and the various District Commissions – the bureaucracy that runs the Act 250 process. These are the people who hear Act 250 permit applications, and interact with citizens and businesses on a daily basis to (theoretically) ensure that Vermont’s values of environmental protection and citizen involvement are protected.
What we have found is troubling. Of the 14 Board/Panel members for example, 7 are unconfirmed Douglas appointees (including the Vice Chair), and there are 2 vacancies. Only 5 of 14 have been confirmed by the Senate. Governor Douglas made several of his appointments just before leaving office, selections that included a retiring Republican legislator and a former member of his cabinet.
Mention the confirmation of gubernatorial appointees and many Vermonters will remember the 1994 confirmation process that threw three of Vermont’s best environmentalists, Elizabeth Courtney, Terry Ehrich, and Nundy Bongartz, off the Environmental Board. Then-Governor Howard Dean did not defend his appointees. Now we have a new Democrat as Governor who has been treated to a parting gift by Governor Douglas. Some of these seats are four year terms, so the NRB as it currently exists will be carrying out the policies of the Douglas administration – for example to see businesses, not the environment, as the “customer” served by the permitting process – unless action is taken, and soon. Under Douglas, the “do-nothing” NRB chose not to intervene in Environmental Court cases to defend its permits or rules.
The Senate Natural Resources Committee is the committee of jurisdiction charged with confirming NRB appointees. Yesterday the Administration sent the Committee Chair an email stating that they fully support the Douglas Administration’s appointments, to these and other positions throughout state government.
This isn’t about partisan politics or playing favorites, it’s about policy differences. Does Governor Shumlin care enough about the environment to make a clear distinction between the land use philosophy and policies of his Administration and the one that preceded his? Apparently not.
You can find more about this issue, including background documents, at http://vermontersforacleanenvi…
I do see from the website that you all are concerned about Ron Shems appointment due to his connection to large-scale wind development. I wouldn’t conflate these arguments as you seem to do on the website, if I were you.
Lazily rolling in Douglas appointees is one thing, but Shems’s connection to wind is likely just a reflection of the Shumlin administration’s view, and as such is both fair, and to be expected.
I don’t know a lot about Mr. Shems and his record, but this is a good example of why we need to know a great deal more about the qualifications and potential conflicts of anyone who is appointed to a quasi-judicial position. I really want to know more about those late-term Douglas appointees, also.
Any of these boards must represent a balance of scientific and legal expertise as well as the perspectives of environmental advocates and the business community. That’s a tall order, and because so little public scrutiny is cast over these appointments, it’s very easy for important constituents to be appointed out of the process.
Just one case in point is our own District 6 Environmental Board which has just three members. As a member of the Northwest Citizens for Responsible Growth, I am involved in the legal fight to deny a permit for a Walmart superstore in St. Albans (exit 20, I-89.) The District 6 Board who heard Act 250 arguments then ruled in favor of the developer consists entirely of businessmen. The Chair, Dan Luneau, whose term appears to be expiring this year, actually has a family business interest at exit 20 that would benefit from the kind of traffic a Walmart could generate right there. Did he agree to recuse himself from deliberations over that Walmart? No he did not.
I want to know whom Governor Shumlin intends to appoint to fill the positions that have become vacant on District 6. It will be very telling if he doesn’t get some folks with sound environmental or science credentials seated on that commission.
But for Ged’s sake, did we elect a DEMOCRAT or a DOUGLAS clone?? When are we going to see something out of this guy that stands up for what HIS party stands up for???
OH, wait, that was a stupid question….
Seriously, Is Peter going to turn out to be more to the right of Dean than anyone ever assumed possible?? We talk about being the most liberal, most democratic state in the country. Where are these Democrats?