Burford Tells the Truth

Much has been said and written about Anne Burford, the one-time Colorado legislator who served as President Reagan’s first administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, but no one would claim that she is either shy or lacking intelligence. Some of her problems at EPA, and in dealing with Congress, were of her own making. But many of them were forced on her by the White House, and, in fact, Burford got decidedly shabby treatment from some of Reagan’s top aides.

Give Burford credit for her candor as she travels around for interviews promoting the book that she has written about her stormy EPA tenure, which ended during a congressional-White House struggle over the release of EPA files dealing with enforcement, or lack of it, of toxic-cleanup laws.

While contending that Reagan is the best President the nation could have in terms of overall policy, she said on NBC’s “Today” show, “The uncomfortable conclusion that I arrived at was that he really does not have a commitment to the environment. We don’t have an environmental policy in this Administration, and I’m not at all comfortable with that.”

This conclusion will not surprise many Americans, although the source of it might. Regardless, it is helpful to have it on the record. The statement did not seem to be made out of spite. Burford’s personal loyalty to the President seems to be undaunted by her acrimonious dealings with White House assistants who considered her a “prima donna” and not a “team player.” These are two of the most grievous offenses that one can commit in the vicinity of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., where they seem to be particularly applicable to women.

Burford’s comments most likely will be dealt with in the same way the White House deals with most criticism: ignoring it, ridiculing the author or pointing to the 1984 election results as justifying anything. But there is no environmental policy, just as there is no energy policy and a variety of other no-policies. These agencies are driven primarily by budget policy, and that policy is to cut where you can and rationalize it by saying that there is no justification for such spending.

This is frustrating, of course, for people who would like to see the country move ahead rather than drift. But it is healthy to recognize that situation once in a while, and for that we thank Anne Burford.