New EPA boss visits Cd'A Tribe

PLUMMER — Michael Bogert, regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, met Thursday with the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Council in Plummer.

The visit is the first following an announcement by EPA ethics officials that Bogert has been cleared to serve as the federal representative on the Coeur d'Alene Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission without showing a conflict of interest.

As former legal counsel to Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, Bogert helped create the commission, and therefore recused himself from sitting on the commission after he took the EPA job.

Bogert's new role as EPA's Pacific Northwest Regional Administrator encompasses work with several Tribes in Idaho, Alaska, Oregon and Washington.

During his tenure with the state of Idaho, Bogert played part in several controversial issues affecting the Coeur d'Alene Tribe including gaming and Lake Coeur d'Alene management.

In his new role as federal official, with responsibility as a federal trustee for tribes, Bogert said he looks forward to working with the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Nation.

"There are tough decisions ahead but I think that we are at a critical point with the basin commission," he said. "I am a fierce believer that the commission, in its design and implementation, is the best way to go about this process."

Members of the Tribal Council congratulated Bogert on his new appointment and echoed their hope for partnership on several issues critical to the Coeur d'Alene Nation.

"This is a different hat for Mr. Bogert, and it provides a fresh opportunity for partnership with the EPA on several issues that are important to the Coeur d'Alene Nation," said Chief Allan, tribal chairman. "Mr. Bogert has a solemn duty to fulfill the EPA's trust responsibility to the Tribe, which includes the protection of tribal human health and environment."

The Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission was created by the Idaho Legislature in 2001 to allow some local participation in decisions regarding cleanup of contamination from historical Silver Valley mining practices.

It includes representatives from the federal government, the states of Idaho and Washington, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, and Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah counties. The Commission is charged with approving one and five-year cleanup work plans, prioritizing work and sharing information about the cleanup.