By: M. Scott Carter
The Journal Record / Capitol bureau reporter
When she announced earlier this year that she planned to combine the cabinet posts of secretary of the energy and the secretary of the environment, many were skeptical of Republican Gov. Mary Fallin’s idea.
Environmentalists worried that the new secretary – whoever he or she was – would simply be a shill for the oil and gas industry. Oil and gas supporters complained that they needed someone experienced who understood their needs and not a tree-hugger.
Enter retired Col. Michael Teague.
Teague, the former commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District, was named as the new secretary of energy and environment in August.
So far, the colonel is off to an excellent start.
Easy to talk to, sincere and interested, Teague’s military background has prepared him well for his new post. Granted, he doesn’t have the depth of knowledge that many in the Fallin administration do when it comes to the oil and gas industry, but Teague has shown he’s willing to learn and listen.
Teague has also reached out to the environmental lobby, telling them that he understands their needs and he gets it when it comes to conservation.
Teague reinforced that message Tuesday, when he spoke at the Governor’s Water Conference. In a short, direct speech during lunch, Teague told energy officials and environmental groups they needed to stop throwing rocks at each other and work together.
Yes. That’s exactly what he said.
Instead of faint praise or lots of spin, Teague was remarkably direct. He talked of the need to conserve the state’s natural resources with the same ease he spoke of the need for a viable and strong energy sector. He also urged both groups to work with federal officials and be proactive instead of spending months shaking their fists at agencies such as the Environment Protection Agency.
It was terrific advice and unexpected from a political appointee.
Still, even with all the positives, Teague has a great deal of work to do before groups like the Sierra Club embrace the boys and girls of Continental Resources. Further, both sides will continue to push back against federal regulation and what they feel are heavy-handed EPA mandates.
Of course, it’s always easy to complain about an overreaching government agency until you’ve watched a river burn.
But Teague has the experience, the understanding – and most of the all the willingness – to bring both sides together. While he might not win every battle, Teague has shown he is engaged and active and ready to take on the difficult.
He also has friends in the right places.
In the past, the Fallin administration has stumbled when it came to working with leaders of the state’s 39 federally recognized Native American tribes. However, Teague, with his past experience at the corps, has a well-established relationship with tribal leaders.
Fallin needs more people like that.
Instead of keeping tribal leaders at arm’s length, Fallin now has people on her staff who understand the needs of the tribes and what their leaders are trying to accomplish.
Time will tell whether or not the governor pulled off the ultimate political hat trick when she combined the posts of energy and environment secretary. With her choice of the retired colonel from Tulsa, however, Fallin just might have accomplished something no other governor has been able to do – and that’s something that even the skeptics can agree on.