The majority leader in the Senate, Thos. Daschle, is under attack for sneaking through a bill that would give his home state of South Dakota an exemption from some of the onerous environmental regulations the Senate has foisted upon the country. Mr. Daschle sprang into action because of the forest fires threatening to consume the Black Hills. The Hills contain more than 10 times their normal amount of fuel, according to a report made this year to the legislature at Pierre. Logging the area seems to be the best way to protect citizens and their property. So Mr. Daschle slipped wording into a spending bill that allows the state to ignore environmental regulations and also protects it from lawsuits as it thins out federal forests there.

Senators Schumer and Clinton could use this situation to New York’s advantage. The Senate, as reported yesterday in The New York Sun, is being asked to suspend similarly burdensome environmental obligations faced by New York. It seems the Clean Air Act mandates that the state come up with a transportation plan complying with current EPA standards for pollution levels around New York City. Rep. Vito Fossella is offering a bill to give New York until 2005 to create a plan that would release the state from transportation plans that no longer make sense after September 11.

Incredibly, this bill — which is supported by the elected government of the Empire State — is being opposed by several of New York’s own solons, including Rep. Jerrold Nadler. But maybe it’s not too late to work out a deal with Mr. Daschle. He can keep the exemption he snuck through if New York gets the waiver it needs to create sustainable and sensible roads, which will, after all, only help the environment. South Dakota will get its exemption so it can protect its land and residents as it sees fit. Of course, if word gets out, other states will start clamoring for their own relief from environmental over-regulation, too. But we can cross that tundra when we get to it.