Connaughton promoted the Bush Administration’s environmental program, calling proposed “Clear Skies” legislation, “by far the most ambitious presidential proposal to cut air pollution ever to come along.”
Connaughton said the plan would cut pollution from power plants by 70 percent.
While Connaughton pitched his perspective as an optimistic one, some environmentalists have taken a dimmer view.
Connaughton and his council have drawn criticism for changes they have made to NEPA—its author, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., called it a “concerted attack” on the law.
About 30 people attended the event last night, most saying they came to hear about environmental policy from a leading public figure.
“I came because I was interested to hear from the Bush Administration’s number one guy on the environment,” said Graduate School of Arts and Sciences student Casey L. Brown. “It was informative, but I thought he glossed over a lot of issues.”