WASHINGTON -- Lee Thomas, now head of EPA's toxic waste program, was nominated by President Reagan Thursday to head the Environmental Protection Agency in place of retiring chief William Ruckelshaus.
By moving swiftly to replace the popular Ruckelshaus, who resigned late Wednesday, Reagan defused a potential controversy over environmental policies and their management.
The EPA announced, meanwhile, that Ruckelshaus' deputy, Al Alm, also is resigning.
The toxic waste program had been the target of mismanagement charges under former EPA head Anne Gorsuch Burford. When Ruckelshaus returned to the agency for a second stint after Burford resigned under fire, he brought Thomas in as acting deputy, then moved him to toxic waste.
Thomas, 40, had been associate director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 1981 to 1983, heading all federal disaster relief efforts.
He also was head of Reagan's task force on Times Beach, Mo., where dioxin was found to have infiltrated the city.
A graduate of the University of the South, Thomas was executive director of the criminal justice programs for the governor of South Carolina from 1972 to 1977.
One congressional source described him as well-regarded on Capitol Hill, saying: 'He's used to being in the hot spot. ... He's a solid, effective bureaucrat. He knows his own mind.'
Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, called Thomas' appointment 'eminently acceptable.'
'You remember Daniel in the lion's den? That's how I would describe Thomas in this administration. His instincts are good,' Dingell said.
Dingell also said his committee has worked with Thomas on Superfund and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and has 'found him to be capable, truthful, and, I believe, a good administrator.'
The Sierra Club called Thomas 'an able administrator.'
'We are not going to oppose the nomination,' said Sierra Club spokeswoman Adrienne Weissman. 'He knows what it takes to get the job done, but we question whether he'll get the means to get the job done and get the money.'
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., head of the House subcommittee that deals with acid rain issues, however, told reporters he had been informed by EPA sources that the White House had told Ruckelshaus it was not interested in moving forward on acid rain legislation and wants to trim EPA's budget significantly.
Administration critics argue that the nominee is less important than a White House commitment to strong antipollution efforts.
Waxman says the successor 'doesn't make much difference if the policy that administrator must follow is the legacy of (former Interior Secretary) James Watt and (former EPA head) Anne Gorsuch Burford.'
But Deputy White House press secretary Larry Speakes denied congressional suggestions that Ruckelshaus, 52, resigned rather than accept impending budget cuts the White House may impose on the 14-year-old agency.
'Ruckelshaus deliberately wanted to take this step prior to being aware of the budget decisions affecting EPA, so that it could not be attributed as his motive, Speakes said.
