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EPA’s Michael Bogert to Serve as Federal Representative on Basin Commission

Release Date: 01/11/2006
Contact Information: Contact: Marianne Deppman Cara Steiner-Riley 206-553-1237 206-553-1142

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Michael Bogert, the Agency’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Northwest, will become the federal representative on the Coeur d’Alene Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission. Mr. Bogert succeeds Ron Kreizenbeck, the Region’s Deputy Regional Administrator, who has served on the Commission since August 2004.

Before joining EPA last August, Mr. Bogert provided legal counsel to the Idaho Governor’s office, including work on issues related to the Basin. After assuming the EPA post, Bogert recused himself from all matters involving EPA’s activities in the Basin in order to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. However, consistent with federal ethics rules, EPA recently determined that Mr. Bogert could serve as the federal representative on the Basin Commission. EPA found that due to his knowledge and experience, his presence on the Commission would be beneficial to the federal government and to advancing cleanup work in the Basin. In this capacity, Mr. Bogert will be responsible for representing the interests of both EPA and the various Federal Trustees involved in Basin work.

“I am looking forward to working closely with other Commission members on the critically important issues affecting the health and welfare of so many people in the Basin,” Bogert said. “I am proud of what we and our State, Tribal, County, Federal and public partners have already accomplished, but work remains to be done. Continued collaboration is essential to producing our shared goals of human health and environmental improvement in the Basin."

Ron Kreizenbeck will remain as Bogert’s alternate on the Commission. As alternate, he will attend meetings or make decisions whenever Bogert is unavailable to do so.

The Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission was created by the Idaho Legislature in 2001. The Commission is a coordinating body that includes representatives from the federal government, the states of Idaho and Washington, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and three north Idaho counties. The Commission is charged with approving one and five-year cleanup work plans, prioritizing work, and sharing information about the cleanup.

Coeur d'Alene Basin (yosemite.epa.gov/r10/CLEANUP.NSF/basin/Coeur+d'Alene+Basin)
Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission (BEIPC) (www.basincommission.com/)
Regional Administrator (yosemite.epa.gov/R10/EXTAFF.NSF/Programs/RA+Office)

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