This is the VOA SpecialEnglish Environment Report.

The chief of the United States Environmental Protection Agencyhas announced her resignation. Christine Todd Whitman says she willleave office on June twenty-seventh.

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Missus Whitman was serving asgovernor of New Jersey when President Bush chose her as E-P-Aadministrator. The United States Senate confirmed her nomination inJanuary of two-thousand-one.

Among her major successes was to order the company, GeneralElectric, to pay to remove poisonous chemical waste from an easternriver. Two General Electric factories along the Hudson Riverreleased the waste into the water for many years. Missus Whitmanalso won approval for new rules to help cut pollutants created bythe use of diesel fuel.

However, she found herself in a difficult situation whenPresident Bush rejected the Kyoto treaty on global warming intwo-thousand-one. She had said the president would keep a campaignpromise to act on carbon dioxide releases by power stations. ButMister Bush said he could not support the treaty at a time ofeconomic weakness and an energy crisis.

The E-P-A head faced a lot of criticism at times. For example,critics say the E-P-A failed to quickly and fully deal with theenvironmental damage from the terrorist attacks on New York City onSeptember eleventh, two-thousand-one.

Missus Whitman is leaving without completing work on a majorenvironmental proposal by the administration. The Clear Skiesmeasure is designed to reduce the release of sulfur dioxide,nitrogen oxides and mercury from power production centers.

Still, Missus Whitman says she is pleased with the record of theEnvironmental Protection Agency during her time there. She says shewants to return to New Jersey and spend more time with her husband.

President Bush praised her as a tireless fighter for new policiesfor cleaner air, purer water and better protected land. And hecalled her a trusted friend and adviser.

The Bush administration reportedly is considering severalpossible replacements for Christine Whitman. The possible nomineesare said to include John Engler, the former governor of Michigan,and Josephine Cooper. She is the president and chief executiveofficer of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

This VOA Special English Environment Report was written by CatyWeaver.