'Problem solver' Jay Manning steps into tough job
Jay Manning, new head of the state Department of Ecology, talks to members of the Washington State Conservation Commission at a recent meeting in Olympia. While some environmental groups have endorsed Manning's appointment, others are skeptical because of his past work for business.
Jay Manning is a master at seeking the middle ground.
As an environmental attorney, he has been in legal fights with virtually every side: government, industry, even environmentalists. Yet he has earned a reputation for finding compromise on some of Washington's thorniest cases.
Now he will bring those skills to a new job that frequently draws fire from all sides: head of Washington's main environmental regulator, the state Department of Ecology. The post, combined with his close relationship to Gov. Christine Gregoire, positions him to play a major role in shaping the state's environmental policy.
Manning's reputation is that of a pragmatist with a green streak, though some Eastern Washington Republicans worry that he's too close to environmentalists. A former Department of Ecology lawyer and past president of the Washington Environmental Council [an Earth Share organization], he has also been a private-practice attorney, representing businesses ranging from the Port of Seattle to an aluminum company.
"I've seen a lot of presidents of the Washington Environmental Council come and go. I've seen some who were problem solvers and some who aren't," said Don Brunell, president of the Association of Washington Business, who negotiated with Manning to craft a deal governing shoreline development statewide. "Jay was definitely someone who was a problem solver."
The Ecology department faces its share of problems.
At a time of growing anxiety about water supply, the agency oversees who gets water and how best to clean up polluted streams and lakes. It's the state enforcer of cleanup at the polluted Hanford federal nuclear facility. Its ability to prevent and clean up oil spills has come under fire. There is growing pressure to regulate a slew of prolific toxic chemicals. And the agency is working with a staff roughly 200 people below its 1993 high of 1,631 employees.
Like Gregoire, herself a former Ecology director, Manning's priorities seem to offer something for everyone. He said the department needs streamlined regulations and a helpful attitude toward regulated industries - a mantra of the business community. But he also vows to get tough with the companies that willfully break environmental laws.
Continue reading this story from the Seattle Times:
'Problem solver' Jay Manning steps into tough job
