Perry Admin Tried To Sidetrack Waste Dump Opponent By Offering Position On Univ. Board Of Regents

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Bobby Gregory, owner of a wildlife ranch and landfill company south of Austin, had opposed a plan to let 36 states send nuclear waste to a 1,338-acre site in Andrews County.

On the other side of the issue was billionaire Harold Simmons and his company Waste Control Specialists LLC, which stood to gain millions of dollars from accepting out-of-state shipments. Simmons had donated over $1 million to Perry's gubernatorial campaigns.

EDIT

Reuters has learned that late last year, after it became clear that the commission might block Waste Control's request to truck in waste from around the country, Perry's appointments chief, Teresa Spears, offered commissioner Gregory an alternative job -- a prestigious appointment as a regent of a state university. Under Texas law, Gregory could not hold two state-appointed positions requiring Senate approval at the same time, and so taking the regent job would have required him to leave the waste commission.

Gary Newton, a lawyer for Gregory's company, Texas Disposal Systems, told Reuters his boss declined the offer. "There was a call from Ms. Spears. Bobby said they asked him if he was interested in this position. It was a Board of Regents position. He said 'No, I'm not interested in that type of appointment,' and declined," Newton said. Gregory's term as commissioner ended on August 31 this year, so Perry can now replace him. The waste commission voted in January to allow imports, though it still has to examine and approve specific applications to import waste on a case-by-case basis.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/01/us-usa-campaign-perry-dump-idUSTRE78053Z20110901