Environmental policy during the first Bush administration contained a mixture of innovation and restriction. George H. W. Bush appointed an environmentalist, William Reilly, to head the EPA, along with others with strong environmental inclinations. Before accepting the appointment, Reilly secured the President's agreement to support his pro-environment agenda and his access to the White House, but competing interests ensured conflicts.EPA Alumni Association: EPA Administrator William K. Reilly describes his relationship with President Bush and their mutual understanding before Reilly accepted the appointment. Reflections on US Environmental Policy: An Interview with William K. Reilly Video, Transcript (see p3). In other departments with environmental responsibilities and in White House offices, however, he appointed people who were more development-oriented, such as John H. Sununu, Richard Darman, and Dan Quayle. While considerable regulation was initially passed, during his last two years in office he severely restricted regulation, and in 1992, a total freeze was put on new regulations.
