Gale

Bowing to pressure from the state of Florida, Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced yesterday the department has significantly scaled back the amount of offshore acreage that will be available for the controversial Lease Sale 181 off the coast of Florida later this year.

The Senate last week approved former Colorado Attorney GeneralGale Norton to the cabinet position of Secretary of the Interior,and tapped New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman to head up theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In late action yesterday, the Senate approved former Coloradoattorney general Gale Norton to the cabinet position of Secretaryof the Interior, and tapped New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitmanto head up the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last weekvoted out the controversial nomination of Gale Norton for secretaryof the Department of Interior.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee yesterdayvoted out the controversial nomination of Gale Norton for secretaryof the Department of Interior.

Referring to herself as both a “conservationist and aconservative,” Interior Secretary nominee Gale Norton walked atightrope last week in an effort to persuade her Senate Republicanand Democratic inquisitors that, despite the heated controversysurrounding her nomination, she is the best choice for the job.

President-elect George W. Bush named Gale Norton, a formerColorado attorney general to head the Interior Department onFriday.

Southern Company’s board of directors has made Gale Klappa asenior vice president. Klappa also has been named an executive vicepresident of Southern Company Services, the subsidiary thatsupports Southern Company’s domestic and international affiliates.In October, Klappa was named Southern Company’s chief strategicofficer. She most recently served as president of the North AmericaGroup of Southern Energy Inc., a Southern Company subsidiary.Southern also announced that its board of directors has named MarceFuller an executive vice president. In July, Fuller was madepresident and chief executive officer of Southern Energy Inc.Fuller directs Southern Energy’s worldwide operations. Beforebecoming Southern Energy’s president and CEO, Fuller, 39, served asexecutive vice president of Southern Energy and president and CEOof affiliate Southern Company Energy Marketing, a partnershipformed in 1997 by Southern Energy and Vastar Resources Inc.