David Vitter threatening to fight potential Romney EPA chief | NOLA ...

Washington -- The election is still more than a week away, but already Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is expressing reservations about a potential Environmental Protection Agency administrator or Energy secretary in a possible Romney administration. And Vitter's voice could be significant because he'll be the top Republican on the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee if Democrats retain the Senate majority and will be in line to become chairman two years later if Republicans retake the majority.

After reports that James Connaughton, who headed the White House Council on Environmental Quality during the George W. Bush administration would be a possible EPA administrator or energy secretary, Vitter told the E&E Reporter he wouldn't be comfortable with him in a position to influence federal environmental and energy policy.

Vitter said his major concern was Connaughton's role in pushing development of an international network of marine protected areas around the Gulf of Mexico, which Vitter considered a threat to "positive commercial activity in the Gulf." The plan fizzled, but Vitter didn't forget Connaughton's role in trying to make it viable.

"It would have had very serious negative consequences for energy, deepwater energy activity in the gulf and for commercial fishermen," Vitter told the E&E Reporter.

Connaughton, now an executive with Constellation Energy in Maryland, couldn't be reached for comment.

Source: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/10/vitter_threatening_to_fight_po.html

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