EDITORIAL: DEC needs attention of next governor

Beyond the departure of hundreds of employees at the state's Department of Environmental Conservation, the loss of one more - its commissioner - has clearly framed a question for our next governor: How are you going to fix an agency that not only protects the environment but is a necessary partner in all kinds of economic development?

Last week, Gov. David A. Paterson - actually, his secretary, Lawrence Schwartz - fired Commissioner Alexander B. "Pete" Grannis for poor performance and insubordination.

As to performance, Grannis has done an excellent job of holding together an agency debilitated by staff reductions. As to insubordination, he denied the main charge: leaking a DEC memo on how to comply with a demand by Paterson's budget division that it shed 209 more employees by Dec. 31. Who-ever leaked it, the memo portrayed an agency really hurting.

From April 2008 to Dec. 31, the agency will have shrunk from 3,775 full-time equivalent employees down to 2,926. As the memo points out, the requested 209 cuts would be more than 10 percent of the 2,000 jobs scheduled to be trimmed in state government, though DEC has only 2.5 percent of the workforce under Paterson's control. All the cutting adds up to fewer spills cleaned, fewer inspections, longer waits for permits.

But it's not just about the environment. In the gubernatorial debate last week, Democrat Andrew Cuomo said the state could go ahead with the controversial hydrofracking to drill for natural gas, but only if it's safe. With a crippled DEC, there may not be enough staff to make sure it's safe, issue permits and clear the way for its economic benefits.

Also, the cuts may force Washington to stop paying the state to enforce such legislation as the Clean Air Act, and start doing the job itself. Regulated industries are not going to like far-off Washington taking over the permit process.

So DEC must be a top priority for the next governor. Now's the time for the candidates to say how they'll fix it. hN