Gordon Duffy, the Governor's Secretary of Environmental Affairs and Chairman of the Administration's Hazardous Waste Task Force, released the following statement today regarding the new Toxics Department proposal announced by Governor Deukmejian: 

"I believe the Governor's proposal for a new Toxics Department will strengthen the coordination among many segments of government that now work independently to resolve these waste problems. 
I am especially encouraged about two aspects of the proposal; the use of a Scientific Advisory Panel and a section devoted to the development of new clean-up technology. Within the Environmental Affairs Agency, the Air Resources Board has found it very valuable to separate independent scientific review of health research from regulatory clean-up decisions. This process insulates objective scientific evaluations of potential health risks from regulatory decisions that are influenced by many political, economic and technological factors."

It's also important to develop new clean-up technology to deal with the constantly growing problem of toxic garbage. We've been simply covering up our toxic garbage problems instead of solving them. Developing 20th Century techniques for cleaning up the toxicity in our environment is a critical need. 

"I will be among the cabinet members conducting public hearings on the Governor's proposal later this month in Sacramento, and I strongly encourage those with suggestions for support or change to share them at those hearings. I know the Governor is open to suggestion and willing to consider the views of others before his final proposal is drafted."