Independent to take top job
Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed a Santa Monica man Wednesday to head the state’s most powerful and influential environmental agency.
If confirmed by the Senate, Terry Tamminen, 51, an Independent, will become the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Tamminen helped draft Schwarzenegger’s environmental platform, which includes ambitious measures to protect California’s national forests, cut air pollution by 50 percent, reduce independence on foreign oil and invest in hydrogen vehicles.
His appointment was hailed by environmental groups who worried that Schwarzenegger’s green campaign stances would disintegrate after he was elected. So far, Schwarzenegger’s mix of appointees include people from a wide range of ideologies and he appears to be remaining true to many of his campaign promises.
Nancy Pearlman, co-coordinator for the Green Party of Los Angeles County, and the producer of ecological radio and television programs, applauded Wednesday’s appointment.
“I think it’s just wonderful that true environmentalists are getting appointed to statewide office and not just people who are speaking about the environment but not really trying to do anything about it,” said Pearlman, also a trustee for the community college district of LA. “The appointment is certainly one step to fulfilling campaign promises and let’s hope that the actions and suggestions that Terry will be proposing will be supported by the (elected) governor.
“That, only time will tell.”
Tamminen founded Santa Monica BayKeeper, a local environmental watchdog group, and was its executive director for six years. He currently serves as the executive director of the Santa Monica-based Environment Now Foundation, a private organization dedicated to protecting, preserving and restoring California’s environment.
“I am honored to be asked to serve on Governor Schwarzenegger’s new administration,” Tamminen said in a prepared statement. “I look forward to helping the governor implement the bold environmental plan that he set forth during the campaign.”
A former student of CSU Northridge and the University of Queensland, Australia, Tamminen also co-founded water protection groups in San Diego, Orange County, Ventura and Santa Barbara. He will replace Winston Hickox, appointed by Gov. Gray Davis in 1999.
The EPA oversees state environmental resources and is the voice of environmental issues in Sacramento. It was founded in 1991.
687,“Our mission is to restore, protect and enhance the environment, to ensure public health, environmental quality and economic vitality,” the EPA Web site reads.
Along with Tamminen’s appointment, Schwarzenegger’s press office announced that James Branham, 48, a lumber company spokesman, will be undersecretary and Maureen Gorsen, 39, an environmental lawyer, will be deputy secretary, law enforcement and counsel.
“Terry, Jim and Maureen have spent their lives working as advocates to protect the environment, and will be assets to my administration,” Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement.
Nancy Pearlman
Green Party official and producer of environmental programs
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Schwarzenegger on the environment:
“California’s economic future depends significantly on the quality of our environment. We face serious environmental challenges, which have profound impact on public health and the economy. ‘Jobs vs. the environment’ is a false choice. Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that clean air and water result in a more productive workforce, and a healthier economy, which will contribute to a balanced state budget. Moreover, it is children who suffer disproportionate impacts of environmental toxins. Studies show that children who live near freeways, for example, suffer significantly higher asthma rates and learning disabilities. This administration will protect and restore California’s air, water and landscapes so that all the people of California can enjoy the natural beauty that is California.”
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Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 13, 2003. Read the original PDF.