The good news, of course, is that David Struhs will soon be gone. The bad news is there will be somebody else. My guess is Otto the Orkin man. Struhs has resigned as director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He was appointed to the position by Jeb Bush in 1999. He is leaving to take a job with International Paper. Oh, you didn`t hear me? I said he is leaving to take a job with International Paper. The global paper and forest products company apparently was impressed with the way Struhs` department dealt with its operation on Perdido Bay, which DEP monitors for pollution. International Paper runs a mill that produces about 25 million gallons of wastewater daily and dumps it into a stream thatspills into Perdido Bay. Although the effluent does not meet clean water standards, the plant received operating permits for several years. Carol Moore, the executive director of Pensacola Gulf CoastKeepers, told The Miami Herald: ``This is a classic case of the fox guarding the henhouse. It`s completely unethical.`` Such A Surprise My, aren`t we all surprised? Struhs did demand that a water treatment plant be built to clean up the mess. Naturally, the bill largely went to taxpayers. Struhs has defenders, and you would have to say his tenure was a mixed bag. But Florida doesn`t need a mixed bag. This great and ecologically fragile state is in desperate need of a few champions. Struhs was not one, and it is unlikely the governor is going to go too far down the list to dig one up. Dan Hendrickson, a Tampa Robinson graduate, is a lawyer and the Sierra Club`s enforcement issue chairman in Tallahassee. He`s also a director of the Florida Consumer Action Network. "I`m glad he got a good job," Hendrickson said. "I would have liked to see his resume. I wonder if it said he helped to roll back 30 years of environmental regulations that helped Floridians?" I have the feeling Hendrickson might not be one of Struhs` bigger fans. "It`s just that he said the right things and did the wrong ones," he said. "Struhs and his legislative friends have done their best to make it more and more difficult for local citizens to be a part of the process. They have changed the rules so that individuals and small groups have only limited say, if they have any say at all.`` Down The River Hendrickson reminded me of that wonderful picture a few years ago of Jeb Bush and Struhs canoeing down the Ichetucknee River and then vowing to preserve the magnificent river forever. That lasted until Anderson Columbia, one of the Southeast`s largest paving and mining companies, made a huge donation to the Republican Party and got approval for a cement kiln near the river. The company denied the donation and plant OK were linked, which may be true. What also is true is that the plant is operating. What is more important is that in a few weeks, Struhs will have left Tallahassee. Moving into his office will be someone responsible for a department that regulates water and air quality. It is supposed to monitor toxic waste dumps and manage state parks. It is in charge of buying environmentally sensitive land and building beaches. This is not the place for ambiguity or compromise. Florida is not a vast frontier ready for the manifest destiny of developers. We need someone who speaks loudly and carries a big stick to protect the finite beauty that cannot be replaced. What do you think of our chances? | 
