Korleski has been on both sides
BY Paul Kostyu
The Canton Repository
COLUMBUS - It wasn’t until he graduated from Alliance High School that Chris Korleski found his calling. He spent the next five summers in the Ohio Youth Conservation Corps.
“Four days a week, we worked in state forests, parks, wildlife areas on conservation projects,” he said. “Three days a week we were doing environmental education.
“I never looked back. Everything I’ve done in one fashion or another has been related to the environment and protection.”
Six weeks into the job as the 11th director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Korleski said he has not regretted taking a job many people think impossible. The agency and its director are regularly buffeted by criticism from lawmakers, regulated industries and businesses, environmentalists and the public.
“I’m very, very result-oriented,” Korleski said. “I want to see improvements. If there is a compliance problem, it needs to be fixed. I’m going to be very flexible in how we go about doing that.”
That approach was demonstrated on Korleski’s second day on the job, when he visited the Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility in southern Stark County. Residents have complained about a stench from the landfill for more than a year, and environmental officials believe it has two underground fires.
“There was an obvious problem needing the director’s attention,” he said. “I didn’t want to dillydally. ... I wanted to explain to people I was on board. I’m engaged. I’m interested.”
Korleski said businesses and the public can expect to see him at other problem locations, something his predecessors rarely did.
Jack Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council called Korleski “engaging and personable,” but said it’s too early to tell what kind of director he will be.
“(The model is) barely off the showroom floor,” Shaner said. “We’re hopeful that we get lots of miles of excellent service. But we have not gone through the first tank of gas, and we don’t know if it’s bio-diesel, soybean or high octane.”
Pete A. Precario, an environmental attorney who represents Bolivar in its case against Countywide, has known Korleski for years.
“He has tremendous potential,” he said. “I consider him a moderate, even with his association with industry.”
Korleski spent 11 years as an attorney for Honda of America. He said he “makes no apologies for my experience working for industry.” He worked at Honda’s environmental compliance program, and, he said, “I would stack their program against anybody’s.”
He also spent seven years under Democratic and Republican attorneys general.
“I sued a lot of companies and collected a lot of penalties,” he said. “I was very aggressive in my representation of the Ohio EPA.”
UNANNOUNCED VISITS
Richard Sahli, who was at the EPA when Korleski represented the agency, called him “a very competent lawyer.”
Melissa Fazekas, a Tuscarawas County native and Korleski’s deputy director of communications, said Korleski makes unannounced visits with employees, who are unaccustomed to seeing an EPA director unless something is wrong.
Korleski is also meeting with constituent groups, including the Ohio Environmental Council and the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association.
“It’s not fair to criticize a person who just came into office,” said John Paul, administrator of the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency in Dayton. “If the guy says he’ll work with us, we’ll work with him. We won’t cry until we hurt.”
“This guy has done his homework,” Precario said. “He put a lot of time in figuring (Countywide) out and made some gutsy recommendations. It gives me a sense that he can understand priorities.”
Linda Woggon, vice president of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, said Korleski’s background in industry and the public sector “gives him a perspective from many viewpoints.”
Kevin Schmidt of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association agreed, saying Korleski has been “on both sides of the fence.”
Korleski sees himself as outgoing and wants to use that attribute to promote the agency.
“One of my goals is to get the public to appreciate (the EPA staff) more than they do now,” he said.
CHRIS KORLESKI
Age: 48
Education: Alliance High School, 1976; Miami (Ohio) University, attended two years; Ohio State University, 1981, B.S. in agronomy; University of Nebraska, 1984, M.A. in soil science; Ohio State University, 1987, law degree.
Occupation: Director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Family: Wife, Carmen, and daughter
Experience: Assistant attorney general, 1988-1995; Counsel, Honda of America, 1996-2007
Priorities: Dealing with Ohio’s impact on global warming; getting the state off the top 10 list of the federal Toxic Release Inventory; making sure Ohio meets clean air and water standards; dealing with agricultural pollution of waterways; expediting the permit process for companies; fixing old-fashioned and deteriorating systems that send raw sewage into waterways during heavy rains.
The Canton Repository
COLUMBUS - It wasn’t until he graduated from Alliance High School that Chris Korleski found his calling. He spent the next five summers in the Ohio Youth Conservation Corps.
“Four days a week, we worked in state forests, parks, wildlife areas on conservation projects,” he said. “Three days a week we were doing environmental education.
“I never looked back. Everything I’ve done in one fashion or another has been related to the environment and protection.”
Six weeks into the job as the 11th director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Korleski said he has not regretted taking a job many people think impossible. The agency and its director are regularly buffeted by criticism from lawmakers, regulated industries and businesses, environmentalists and the public.
“I’m very, very result-oriented,” Korleski said. “I want to see improvements. If there is a compliance problem, it needs to be fixed. I’m going to be very flexible in how we go about doing that.”
That approach was demonstrated on Korleski’s second day on the job, when he visited the Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility in southern Stark County. Residents have complained about a stench from the landfill for more than a year, and environmental officials believe it has two underground fires.
“There was an obvious problem needing the director’s attention,” he said. “I didn’t want to dillydally. ... I wanted to explain to people I was on board. I’m engaged. I’m interested.”
Korleski said businesses and the public can expect to see him at other problem locations, something his predecessors rarely did.
Jack Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council called Korleski “engaging and personable,” but said it’s too early to tell what kind of director he will be.
“(The model is) barely off the showroom floor,” Shaner said. “We’re hopeful that we get lots of miles of excellent service. But we have not gone through the first tank of gas, and we don’t know if it’s bio-diesel, soybean or high octane.”
Pete A. Precario, an environmental attorney who represents Bolivar in its case against Countywide, has known Korleski for years.
“He has tremendous potential,” he said. “I consider him a moderate, even with his association with industry.”
Korleski spent 11 years as an attorney for Honda of America. He said he “makes no apologies for my experience working for industry.” He worked at Honda’s environmental compliance program, and, he said, “I would stack their program against anybody’s.”
He also spent seven years under Democratic and Republican attorneys general.
“I sued a lot of companies and collected a lot of penalties,” he said. “I was very aggressive in my representation of the Ohio EPA.”
UNANNOUNCED VISITS
Richard Sahli, who was at the EPA when Korleski represented the agency, called him “a very competent lawyer.”
Melissa Fazekas, a Tuscarawas County native and Korleski’s deputy director of communications, said Korleski makes unannounced visits with employees, who are unaccustomed to seeing an EPA director unless something is wrong.
Korleski is also meeting with constituent groups, including the Ohio Environmental Council and the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association.
“It’s not fair to criticize a person who just came into office,” said John Paul, administrator of the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency in Dayton. “If the guy says he’ll work with us, we’ll work with him. We won’t cry until we hurt.”
“This guy has done his homework,” Precario said. “He put a lot of time in figuring (Countywide) out and made some gutsy recommendations. It gives me a sense that he can understand priorities.”
Linda Woggon, vice president of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, said Korleski’s background in industry and the public sector “gives him a perspective from many viewpoints.”
Kevin Schmidt of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association agreed, saying Korleski has been “on both sides of the fence.”
Korleski sees himself as outgoing and wants to use that attribute to promote the agency.
“One of my goals is to get the public to appreciate (the EPA staff) more than they do now,” he said.
CHRIS KORLESKI
Age: 48
Education: Alliance High School, 1976; Miami (Ohio) University, attended two years; Ohio State University, 1981, B.S. in agronomy; University of Nebraska, 1984, M.A. in soil science; Ohio State University, 1987, law degree.
Occupation: Director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Family: Wife, Carmen, and daughter
Experience: Assistant attorney general, 1988-1995; Counsel, Honda of America, 1996-2007
Priorities: Dealing with Ohio’s impact on global warming; getting the state off the top 10 list of the federal Toxic Release Inventory; making sure Ohio meets clean air and water standards; dealing with agricultural pollution of waterways; expediting the permit process for companies; fixing old-fashioned and deteriorating systems that send raw sewage into waterways during heavy rains.
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