Foul Toxics, Fair Criticism

Gov. George Deukmejian perceives foul partisanship in the Assembly vote that killed his plan to reorganize the regulation of toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes into a single department.

But there is something to be said for taking a long second look when the author of the plan himself produces, at the very last minute, 62 pages of corrections. Many Assembly Democrats who voted against the plan thought that it was a good idea. What they wanted, and got, was the long second look at the corrections.

The most important flaw in the governor’s plan was language that would seem to take from the state Water Resources Control Board some of its power to shut down operations involving toxic pollutants when they pose a threat to water supplies.

Critics also complained that other language would weaken a Toxic Pits Act that became law last year and would seem to leave enforcement of all toxic laws in limbo for six months while the department was being put together.

Because so many people are rightly worried about toxics in their drinking water, cleaning up waste is good politics, and the governor loaded as much blame onto the Democrats as he could in one day. Where he really needs to turn up the heat is with the staff and administrators who let the flawed plan get as far as it did before admitting that it had problems.