Blackwelder claims Griles even compares unfavorably to his would-be boss, Interior Secretary Gale Norton, whose nomination environmentalists opposed. "Norton's anti-environmental actions and attitudes pale in comparison," he says. "This confirmation must not move forward."

But this confirmation is moving forward. According to Bill Wicker, communications director for the Democrats on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Griles' nomination should come up for a formal vote Wednesday, and "we expect that the votes are there," including those from some Democrats.

Greens are incredulous. "I don't know how a senator who cares about environmental protection could vote for Steve Griles," complains Doug Kendall, executive director of the Community Rights Counsel. But the orchestrated effort against Griles -- run primarily by the Environmental Working Group and the Community Rights Counsel, with the backing of other green groups -- has not made much of an impact.

Griles, who didn't return calls for this story, has, like Norton before him, made conciliatory noises, saying that he has evolved since his days serving under James Watt, and now favors a "balanced" approach to running Interior. "Steve's well qualified for the position," says White House spokesman Jimmy Orr. "He's very knowledgeable about the department, he understands the importance of stewardship and he understands the importance of balancing the many interests that face the Department of Interior."

Seconds Mark Pfeifle, spokesman for the Interior Department, "Unfortunately some groups feel they must demonize solid, qualified people like Steve Griles in order to increase the amount of money in their fundraising coffers."

But environmentalists like Kendall have no shortage of evidence showing that, as far as they're concerned, Griles -- who worked in the Interior Department during the Reagan administration before becoming a lobbyist for the oil, mining and coal industries -- is no friend of the earth. Disappointingly for them, however, they seem to have found only one member of the Senate committee charged with voting Griles in or out to hear them. During Griles' May 16 hearing, his self-declared evolution into favoring a "balanced" approach wasn't enough for Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who told Griles, "You're going to have to give me some evidence that you would look at these issues in a different way. If you are going to do business basically as you have in the past, that's not good enough."

What might not be good enough for Wyden, though, actually does appear to be "good enough." With the exception of Wyden and possibly Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Griles' nomination is expected to be supported by the full committee Wednesday, and his nomination will move ahead for a full Senate vote.

Despite environmentalists' -- and even Wyden's -- best efforts, Griles has barely registered to some on the committee. "We haven't really paid much attention to this one," confides a staffer for one Democrat. "The senator hasn't been active on this one." The staffer says his boss will "likely" vote for Griles.

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