Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 9 › Conversation 009-120

Nixon phone call with Buchanan on Environmental Protection Agency

Wednesday, September 22, 1971 · 4:53 PM–4:54 PM ET · White House Telephone · 59 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Buchanan, Patrick J.Conversation009-120 on Tape 9 (tape position 03:36:13–03:37:12)StartWednesday, September 22, 1971 at 4:53 PMEndWednesday, September 22, 1971 at 4:54 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 009-120 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Patrick Buchanan discuss the public relations strategy for the announcement of a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) engine initiative. Nixon advises against a formal White House rollout, suggesting instead that the information be released casually in response to a press inquiry. Buchanan is tasked with consulting William Ruckelshaus and John Whitaker to evaluate the viability and potential risks of this low-profile approach.

  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • Public Relations
  • William D. Ruckelshaus
  • John C. Whitaker
  • Government Communications

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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yeah yes sir on that question on ruckelshaus's new engine uh i think i mean they don't have to worry about griffin on that i just do they do they think they'd like to have it announced out there i think uh what i got when my guy was inquiring about the epa stuff was that it was going to come out in a day or two so i assume i thought it might be a good thing for us to drop in response to a question you know just let it drop right in the press's lap
Fine.
Why don't you check with, well, who is it over there that's in charge of that?
Ruckelshaus would be the guy.
Yeah, Ruckelshaus, but you better check with... Tim and Jermaine on the... No, no, no, no, no, no, not the Congress.
Whitaker, I think, is the staff man, isn't he?
Yeah, that's right, that's right.
Why don't you just see if there's any reason why we shouldn't do it that way?
Okay, fine.
I mean, I don't see any gain, I mean, I think any gain to put it out here or something.
We'll see.
Okay.
Okay.
Right on, Bob.

NARA Description

On September 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan talked on the telephone from 4:53 pm to 4:54 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 009-120 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 9-120

Date: September 22, 1971
Time: 4:53 pm - 4:54 pm

Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Patrick J. Buchanan.

[See Conversation No. 279-24]

     Engine
          -William D. Ruckelshaus
          -Robert P. Griffin
          -Announcement
               -Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]
               -William E. Timmons
               -John C. Whitaker

Also recorded on September 22, 1971

  • 279-024 4:53 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:53 pm to 4:54 pm.
  • 009-121 4:54 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:54 pm and 5:17 pm.
  • 279-025 4:54 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:54 pm and 5:17 pm.
  • 279-026 4:54 PM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:54 pm and 5:17 pm.
  • 279-027 4:54 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:54 pm and 5:17 pm.
  • 279-028 4:54 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:54 pm and 5:17 pm.
  • 009-122 5:17 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 5:17 pm to 5:31 pm.
  • 279-029 5:17 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:17 pm to 5:31 pm.

All 84 conversations from September 22, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 009-120, September 22, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/009-120 (accessed October 12, 2026).