LANSING – Environmental groups and Democrats were quick Thursday to deride Gov. Rick Snyder’s choice of Heidi Grether to head the Department of Environmental Quality because of her background lobbying for BP America.

Grether is currently deputy director of the Michigan Agency for Energy, where she led state efforts to comply with new federal carbon rules.

The DEQ has been helmed by Interim Director Keith Creagh for more than six months since Snyder asked for former Director Dan Wyant to resign in the wake of the Flint water crisis. His choice for a permanent director has been highly anticipated and probably no previous Snyder appointment has been met with such furious criticism.

“Heidi has decades of experience in environmental quality issues, and has effectively served during times of crises and recovery,” Snyder said in a prepared statement. “Her expertise in delivering good customer service from a large organization will be of great value as we continue working to reinvent the department and act more proactively to address issues that arise.”

Not only does Grether inherit the Flint water crisis, but she also comes to the department amid a pitched debate about Enbridge’s oil pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac, dioxane contamination in the ground in Washtenaw County and a general crisis on where to draw the line between enforcement of environmental law and not becoming so overly aggressive as to damage business operations.

But it was her role at BP America during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that drew criticism. As the administration described it in a statement, “she helped to lead Gulf Coast restoration efforts.”

Her LinkedIn page, however, says that she directed communications efforts and lobbying of state governments in response to the crisis, first in Mississippi (2010-12) and then for the Gulf Coast region (2012-14). Prior to then, she spent 15 years a multistate lobbyist for BP. Grether listed among her accomplishments on Deepwater Horizon as having “developed and implemented successful external relations strategies for the Gulf Coast in response to the DWH accident, thereby achieving no legislation adverse to BP being introduced in the Gulf states.”

Snyder Press Secretary Anna Heaton said it was Grether’s experience working on the Deepwater Horizon event that made her the best choice for the post. The Flint water crisis has dominated most of the last nine months.

“She managed public response during a very challenging time and that kind of experience is not something many people have,” she said.

During the search process, many had urged the governor to bring in outside eyes to review the agency, which came under heavy fire for its role in the Flint water crisis. Missteps in overseeing the city’s change of water source and the resulting lead contamination in some homes and businesses resulted in the task force Snyder appointed to investigate what went wrong to pin most of the blame on the DEQ.

“She is still considered an outside voice, as she has served in the administration for a year and prior to that had not been part of this administration or any,” Heaton said.

Grether does, though, have experience with Michigan politics. Prior to her time with BP, she served as legislative director for House Co-Speaker Paul Hillegonds during the shared power period and as an aide to then-Senate Majority Leader John Engler. She also worked for a period for the Michigan Manufacturers Association.

Amber McCann, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-West Olive), said the Senate is planning to hold an advice and consent hearing on the appointment, but is not yet sure on the timing.

Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint) offered Grether his input on reforms to the agency.

“Grether faces a steep climb in restoring trust that the MDEQ will have a culture of putting the public’s health first,” he said in a statement. “If she’s willing to take that on, I have a number of suggestions for what needs to change. Regardless, more public oversight and involvement is a must.”

The Michigan Environmental Council also indicated a willingness to work with Grether.

“This is an extremely important time for the DEQ to renew its commitment to and prove itself effective at carrying out the mission of protecting Michigan’s environment and human health,” MEC President Chris Kolb said. “We will do everything we can to ensure that Director Grether’s focus and that of the department is on making Michigan’s environment safe and healthy for all residents. We look forward to working with Director Grether to not only restore the department’s reputation, but to establish Michigan as the top state for environmental protection.”

Kolb co-chaired the Flint task force.

Other environmental groups were concerned that her task would be to gloss over the problems in the department rather than fix them.

“I am infuriated but not shocked that Snyder chose to appoint someone who had a hand in one of the worst man-made water disasters and cleanup failures in history to head the MDEQ,” Melissa Mays, Flint resident and activist with Flint Rising, said in a statement. “We have spoken with residents who are still affected by the BP disaster and they expressed concern that Flint water will also not get cleaned up properly. As we sit here in Flint, still unable to safely use our water, reading about who Snyder handpicked to run the MDEQ, we see those fears are more likely to be realized.”

Federal officials have said all Flint water is safe to drink if it is filtered, but many residents remain skeptical of that claim.

“The appointment of a former BP lobbyist to the DEQ is a slap in the face to Michigan residents and especially the people of Flint,” Clay Carpenter, campaign organizer for Clean Water Action, said in a statement. “We need a leader who is committed to environmental stewardship and protecting our water instead of a lobbyist for a company with one of the worst records for pollution in the country.”

David Holtz, chair of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, said Ms. Grether should recuse herself from any of the upcoming discussions of Enbridge Energy’s oil pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac because of her previous ties to the oil industry.

“Protecting the Great Lakes shouldn’t fall to someone with such close ties to an industry whose profits will be directly impacted by her decisions as a public official,” he said.

Democrats and progressive groups joined the criticism.

“Tapping a former executive of the fossil fuel industry, which has been the chief engine of climate change denial and the degradation of air and water quality in our country and around the world, is not what Michigan needs at the head of the MDEQ,” Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, said in a statement. “Michigan is facing serious problems because of irresponsible and greedy oil companies, including rampant pollution in communities of color and environmental destruction from devastating oil spills. This is another example of Snyder choosing his corporate donors over the well-being of Michiganders and the communities where they stake their livelihoods and futures.”

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Brandon Dillon said after Mr. Wyant was asked to resign, he was hopeful Mr. Snyder would “show leadership in his next choice.”

“Unfortunately, Rick Snyder has once again put politics over people by appointing Heidi Grether, BP America’s spin doctor during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill,” he said in a statement. “Governor Snyder should stop hiring PR flaks to shield him from the next Flint water crisis and start focusing on fixing the pipes in Flint and doing what it takes to prevent another disaster.”

Grether, of Williamston, holds a master’s degree in natural resource economics and policy and a Bachelor’s degree in political science and public administration, both from Michigan State University. She will take her new post on August 1.

Creagh is returning to his post as director of the Department of Natural Resources.

This story was published by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on www.gongwer.com