EPA MAY LACK INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR REMAINDER OF BUSH PRESIDENCY

摘要

The recent decision by Andrew Cochran to withdraw his nomination to serve as EPA's inspector general (IG) could soon leave the agency's IG office without a top official for the remainder of President Bush's presidency, because federal law requires the acting IG, Bill Roderick, to step down in early November. Democratic and environmentalist sources say that if the Office of Inspector General is left without a new IG, that will weaken the office's credibility and could harm the office staff's ability to work effectively. These critics say that Bush must urgently nominate an acceptable and credentialed candidate to run the office. Over the past year, two contentious Bush IG nominees, including Cochran and Defense Department environmental official Alex Beehler, have withdrawn their nominations, while controversy has surrounded Roderick's plans to refocus the IG's work and cut staff.