Bradley Scores Governor on Toxics Issue

Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley on Thursday accused Gov. George Deukmejian of blocking efforts to clean up leaking underground toxic chemical storage tanks that are polluting the state’s drinking water supply.

“In the last year, through his stonewalling, through his veto of legislation offered to clean up the pollution that has resulted from leaking underground storage tanks, he has endangered the water and health of all Californians,” Bradley told a news conference on the steps of City Hall.

Bradley chose the friendly surroundings of City Hall to press the offensive against Deukmejian, his Republican foe, after a day of campaigning in Northern California where the mayor had faced questions from the audience and reporters over his failure to take a stand on whether California Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird should be reconfirmed in the November election.

Bird Issue a Loser

While the Bird issue is considered a loser in the Bradley camp, the dispute over the Deukmejian Administration’s handling of toxic waste enforcement is believed to be a winner. Bradley and legislative Democrats have teamed up to blast the governor’s enforcement of toxic cleanup laws. Bradley campaign strategists say that the public, concerned about pollution, will rally behind the Bradley cause against Deukmejian, now favored to be reelected in the fall.

Specifically, Bradley criticized Deukmejian for vetoing a $7.6-million appropriation for extra staff for the State Water Resources Control Board to clean up the tanks, which have been used by manufacturers and other businesses as receptacles for hazardous wastes. Government investigators have found that cancer-causing chemicals have leaked from these tanks into underground water supplies that are used by municipalities around the state. The San Fernando Valley is a prime danger spot, officials have reported.

Bradley said that the board, which is appointed by the governor, will “release a memo that details the widespread nature of the crisis.”

A spokesman for the board said that the agency has sent a “budget change proposal” to Deukmejian expressing the need for more staff to do cleanups. The report, the spokesman said, told Deukmejian the board estimated that there are 30,000 leaking tanks in the state, “not all major.” It said the Administration must decide whether the state or local governments should have the responsibility of cleaning them up.

‘State’s Responsibility’

Bradley said he fears that Deukmejian will turn over the job to local government. “Toxic cleanup is the state’s responsibility; he can’t hide from that,” Bradley said.

The view of Bradley and legislative leaders got support last month from the Legislature’s fiscal adviser. The legislative analyst said, “the board will need additional staff to oversee cleanup of underground tanks. The board has received many more reports of underground tank leaks than it had expected.” In addition, the analyst said, local government cleanup efforts are uneven, ranging from a strong effort in some areas, to a weak one in others, such as Sacramento County, which refers “all cases of leaking tanks” to state authorities.

Deukmejian, at a press conference in Los Angeles, defended his record, saying: “We have increased our budget for dealing with the toxics problem in the state. . . . We have a very strong record of vigorously enforcing this law, especially compared with the prior Administration.”

As for the veto of funds for additional enforcement personnel, Deukmejian said Democratic legislative leaders insist on voting for extra appropriations “despite the fact that if I had approved of all the augmentations we would be in a severe deficit position or we would have had to raise taxes considerably.”