Sherwood Boehlert, a G.O.P Moderate in the House, Dies at 84

Sherwood L. Boehlert, a 12-term mean Republican congressman from upstate New York who bucked his party’s right-wing displacement by lasting steadfast arsenic an ardent environmentalist, died connected Tuesday successful a hospice attraction halfway successful New Hartford, N.Y. He was 84.

The origin was complications of dementia, his wife, Marianne Boehlert, said.

As a subordinate of the House from 1983 to 2007 and president of the Science Committee from 2001 to 2006, Mr. Boehlert (pronounced BOE-lert) successfully championed authorities that imposed higher substance system standards for vehicles and authorities that, pursuing the illness of the World Trade Center successful 2001, empowered the national authorities to analyse structural failures the mode it examines craft accidents.

In 1990, helium galvanized mean Republicans successful a bipartisan conjugation that amended the Clean Air Act to trim the contamination produced by coal-fueled powerfulness plants successful the Midwest, which contributed to acerb rainfall that was fatal to food successful Adirondack lakes.

He aboriginal chided planetary warming skeptics, inviting his chap Republicans to “open their minds.”

“Why bash truthful galore Republican senators and representatives deliberation they are close and the world’s apical technological academies and scientists are wrong?” he wrote successful an sentiment effort for The Washington Post successful 2010. “I would similar to beryllium capable to chalk it up to deficiency of accusation oregon misinformation.”

For idiosyncratic whose closest vulnerability to ceremonial grooming successful subject was a precocious schoolhouse physics people (he received a C), Mr. Boehlert built a coagulated estimation successful that subject among legislature colleagues of some parties, arsenic good arsenic scientists and environmentalists.

National Journal called him the “Green Hornet” for his willingness to situation chap Republicans connected the environment. Congressional Quarterly listed him among the 50 astir effectual members of Congress.

After Republicans seized power of the House successful 1994, helium helped defy efforts to weaken the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act; supported subject acquisition and a greater concern successful research, including done the Department of Homeland Security; pushed to enforce standards for voting machines successful the aftermath of the disputed 2000 statesmanlike election; and favored further resources for unpaid firefighters.

After serving successful the Army, helium graduated from Utica College successful 1961 and managed nationalist relations for the Wyandotte Chemical Company.

Lured into authorities arsenic a protagonist of comparatively progressive New York Republicans similar Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller and Senator Jacob K. Javits, helium went to enactment for Representative Alexander Pirnie, an upstate Republican, becoming his main of staff. He aboriginal held the aforesaid occupation for Mr. Pirnie’s successor, Donald J. Mitchell, besides a Republican.

He ran successfully for Oneida County enforcement and, aft serving a four-year term, was elected to Congress successful 1982. His district, successful Central New York, included the National Baseball Hall of Fame successful Cooperstown, which helped relationship for the Yankee regalia successful his office, arsenic good arsenic Cornell University. Unlike galore of his colleagues, helium would instrumentality location to his territory each weekend.

When helium announced successful 2006 that helium would not question re-election, helium told The Syracuse Post-Standard that helium regretted the expanding part successful Washington.

“I came to Capitol Hill 42 years ago, and I person ne'er seen a higher level of partisanship and a little level of tolerance for the different guy’s constituent of view,” helium said.

After Mr. Boehlert’s death, Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat who is the Senate bulk leader, praised him for his “rich legacy, his enactment of science, his committedness to combating clime change, and his heavy love” for his district.

Mr. Boehlert joined Marianne Willey successful 1976. Along with her, helium is survived by 2 children, Tracy VanHook and Leslie Wetteland, and a stepson, Mark Brooks, from his matrimony to Jean Bone, which ended successful divorce; a stepdaughter, Brooke Phillips, from his wife’s archetypal marriage; and six grandchildren.