Brown Takes Jabs at Clinton on Arkansas Campaign Stops

As Bill Clinton closes in on the Democratic presidential nomination, rival candidate Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr. mentions the Arkansas governor less frequently--but he still takes an occasional swipe at the front-runner.

Brown brought his campaign to Clinton’s back yard Saturday and again charged the governor with relaxing environmental standards to benefit campaign contributors.

Stumping for the May 26 Arkansas primary, the former California governor visited the Vertac dioxin incinerator in Jacksonville, about 15 miles northeast of Little Rock. The site ranks among the top 20 federal Superfund cleanup projects in the country.

Neighbors have questioned government assurances that dioxin from a chemical dump poses no danger as it is burned. Brown sided with these community activists and said they represent the kind of grass-roots group that he aspires to knit together into an ongoing movement after the election.

Brown toured the gravel-covered and heavily chlorinated site with activists to illustrate his commitment to environmental cleanup and conservation.

He said toxic waste should be stored until a process is developed to recycle it safely. He also said he favors policies that would end production of such toxics and intensify research and development of safe disposal and recycling methods.

“My goal is to transform the industrial economy so that it’s environmentally safe and it’s sustainable,” he said. “This is the dark underbelly of the affluence that we all enjoy.”

Brown took the opportunity to criticize Clinton’s environmental record.

“The groups that study the environment feel that Clinton has been very deficient on environmental grounds,” Brown said. “To please some of his business friends, he has relaxed environmental standards. Everybody knows that.”

Brown also spoke to about 150 people at a national Vietnam Veterans of America rally in front of the Arkansas Capitol and held a private meeting with community representatives. Brown, who says he did not serve in the military during the Vietnam War because of student deferments, did not mention Clinton’s draft history.