Regulations' Foes Woo Governor

The Thursday Group, a coalition of lobbyists for some of the most powerful industries in the state -- including chemical companies, defense contractors, real estate developers and biotechnology firms -- sent the governor a letter last week with a lengthy list of environmental rules that it did not like.

The memo, which was immediately circulated by environmentalists, raised objections over everything from air pollution regulations on consumer products to the California Coastal Commission.

It also voiced concerns regarding impending regulations on perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel that government scientists have linked to health problems, and a landmark law passed last year that makes California the first state to regulate the carbon dioxide emissions of cars.

Industry groups would like California to wait until the National Academy of Sciences evaluates the health hazards of perchlorate before adopting regulations. The lobbyists also contend that California lacks the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, which many scientists say contribute to global warming.

Some environmental lobbyists expressed alarm over the memo, saying it confirmed their fears that industry groups would press the governor to roll back regulations they had fought hard to secure.

However, many environmental lobbyists shrugged it off as a predicable shot in the dark by their industry opponents, and conceded that they were sending similar memos to the new administration, hoping to reopen old battles they had lost during Gov. Gray Davis' tenure.

"Frankly, I don't think they have a chance of succeeding in any of these arguments. They seem out of touch with what Gov. Schwarzenegger and the majority of Californians support," said Bill Magavern, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club, noting that the governor pledged to pursue an aggressive pro-environment agenda during the recall campaign.

Terry Tamminen, the Santa Monica environmentalist whom Schwarzenegger recently appointed as his secretary of environmental protection, also downplayed the lobbying push, saying everyone had a right to make his feelings known. Schwarzenegger, he said, has said he supports some of the regulations, such as on tailpipe exhaust.