Today, Gov. Northam announced his reappointment of David Paylor as the Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. In response, Kate Addleson, Director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, released the following statement.
“Gov. Northam’s reappointment of David Paylor is disappointing. Virginians, including many of our members and supporters, elected Gov. Northam under the auspices that he would work as an environmental champion. This decision shows the Governor’s willingness to continue business as usual and allow corporate interests to be prioritized above the health of Virginians.
“As the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality, Paylor has spent over a decade cozying up to corporate polluters. This includes accepting gifts from Dominion Energy like a $2300 trip to the Masters Tournament in April 2013 and countless instances advocating against stronger environmental protections, puppeting polluter’s positions.
“With numerous challenges threatening Virginia’s environment, it’s abundantly clear that Virginians would benefit from fresh leadership at DEQ with the spine to stand up to corporate polluters, monopoly utilities and all those who threaten Virginia’s clean air and water.
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