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Council on Environmental Quality
Q: You told me a little bit about how you became involved in the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); was this the first encounter you had with Russell Train?
MR. REILLY: Yes. I remember going to visit him at the Interior Department when he was Undersecretary there, just prior to his taking up his new position as CEQ Chairman, and having an interview with him after I had been interviewed by Timothy Atkeson. Atkeson told me that I should tackle him as he came through the hallway there. He came through a little out of breath - coming from the Congress, I think - and I immediately jumped up and started to speak to him.
"In a minute, in a minute," he said, "let me catch my breath, I'll call for you in a few minutes."
I can remember, in fact, the first conversation I overheard with him. Someone said to him, "We're going to have a phone installed in your car this week," and he said, "Good Lord, why do you want to do that, it's the only peace and quiet I ever get." When I served at EPA, I discovered why he might not have wanted a phone in his car. Truly the only peace and quiet you get in public life is traveling in an airplane, although now they're getting phones in planes, too.
He called for me and then interviewed me. We had a very nice interview and always got on well. I became not only a land use staff member at the Council, but I ended up writing a number of speeches on other issues for him as well. He became a mentor to me. I suppose if I have two in public life, they are Russell Train and Bill Ruckelshaus.
In fact, Train has had most of the jobs that I have had for the last 20 years. He preceded me as President of The Conservation Foundation, as President of World Wildlife Fund, as EPA Administrator. I've not gone on the tax court and I don't intend to - not that they would have me. But, I have enormous respect for him and have learned a great deal from him.