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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

New energy secretary could renew local trust

The Spokesman-Review

The following editorial appeared Sunday in the Tri-City Herald.

Trust but verify. That sage advice from Ronald Reagan is the perfect foundation for the Northwest’s relationship with the nation’s new secretary of energy.

Samuel Bodman is making all the right moves in the early weeks of his administration, not least of which was his 11-hour introduction to Hanford and the Tri-Cities last week.

But he’ll have to excuse our skepticism. We’ve seen promises for a new day evaporate into business as usual far too many times not to be jaded. That doesn’t mean we aren’t hopeful, however.

Bodman’s desire to take a firsthand look at the Herculean tasks that he’s ultimately responsible for advancing might seem like a no-brainer. But in the world of beltway politics, it’s not rare to find an energy secretary loath to leave the other Washington. …

His Hanford itinerary included talks with Gov. Christine Gregoire and site employees, revealing a savvy understanding of those he’ll need on his side to make real progress with Hanford cleanup.

Some past secretaries’ failure to grasp the central role of the Hanford work force or the political reality that defines the rest of the Northwest has made Bodman’s job harder.

Initiative 297, the anti-nuclear waste measure that Washington voters overwhelmingly approved last year, might have passed anyway, but the huge margin indicates the depth of mistrust for the Department of Energy. The public’s trust in DOE always will be limited. Too much radioactive material was poured into the ground and sent up smokestacks amid government assurances to ever eliminate a healthy dose of skepticism.

But the lawsuits and confrontation that have marred recent relations between the Northwest and DOE aren’t inevitable. Dialogue is possible. So is compromise. Bodman appears ready to make progress on both counts.

It’s especially satisfying to see the job go to someone with a technical background. Too often, loyal support for the president has had more to do with the selection of an energy secretary than inherent ability. …

Bodman has the potential to break the mold. He earned a doctorate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and taught chemical engineering at the school for six years before going into business. His last job in the private sector was chairman of Cabot Corp., a Boston-based Fortune 300 company specializing in chemicals and materials, some of it connected to the energy industry.

He has his critics, at least among Texas environmentalists who are unhappy about pollution from Cabot’s operations in their state.

But Bodman’s background in science and business could provide the right combination of expertise that’s needed, not only to overcome barriers to improving the pace of cleanup, but also to repair DOE’s relations with the Northwest. …