A number of state environmental officials who have chafed under tough federal air quality regulations plan to meet in Michigan next week with executives of polluting industries to discuss how environmental standards might be loosened if George W. Bush wins the presidency. The gathering is being organized by Michigan’s top environmental official, Russ Harding, who reports to Michigan Gov. John Engler (R), a big Bush backer. Most of the invited state officials are from Republican administrations in Midwestern and Southern states. Representatives from several generally pro-Bush trade associations also plan to attend, on behalf of the oil, utility, paper, and auto industries. Ken Cook, president of Environmental Working Group, criticized what he called “a secret meeting to plot dirtier air.” The session could damage Bush’s efforts to portray himself as an environmental moderate.
