Tedd Jett can appreciate both sides of the environmental regulation story—because he has worked extensively on both sides.

 

“I had a 32-year career,” Jett says. “The first half was with the State Water Control Board in Bridgewater. The last half was with Merck in Elkton, Virginia’s Stonewall Plant. So I got to see the environmental field from both the public and private sectors.”

 

Jett started with the water board in 1973, one year after the Clean Water Act was passed. “I was just out of graduate school and had high hopes, but the reality was poor-quality discharges from industrial facilities. At that point, much activity was in issuing the first National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. These permits authorized discharges—the federal permits were more stringent, and state requirements weren’t as tough. The permits required improvements over time; they were issued for five-year terms. Over a five- to 10-year period there was vast improvement. I’m very proud of the improvements during my years with the water board.”

 

When he went to the private sector in 1989, Jett’s role greatly expanded. “I had responsibility not just for water after I went to Merck; there were responsibilities across the board. DEQ had not been formed yet. So all entities were separate, with different locations and different people. I had never seen how difficult it was, or how complicated it could be, when I was on the regulatory side.

 

“Yes, I’ve seen lots of changes. Over 30-plus years, there were many changes to legal and regulatory requirements that were made and intended to improve things. The attitudes among the people I worked with have also changed—especially with Merck. As chairman of environmental affairs for the Virginia Manufacturers Association, I got a chance to see the change in relationships and develop better relationships between manufacturers and regulators. It helped understanding from both sides, so instead of butting heads, we were able to find compromises. It was very rewarding. Over the years, a very productive relationship ultimately developed, with regulations and requirements that were good for the state and for community business.

 

“Overall, I think Virginia always sought to achieve its objectives. We’re always looking for solutions to help the environment and business grow. People think curtailing industry is a good thing to do, until they realize the economic impact. I think Virginia has done a better job than other places at achieving balance.

 

“Building on what has been done is really important, too. If Virginia and the regulated community go about attacking problems that exist in a cooperative way, I believe that they will get everything done that they want to get done. There aren’t any problems we can’t solve.”