This past weekend, Al Armendariz offered his resignation as Regional Administrator of EPA’s Region 6 – effective today. Deputy Regional Administrator Sam Coleman will be serving as Acting Regional Administrator.
Armendariz made headlines Wednesday following a Senate floor speech by Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe in which he highlighted a 2010 speech given by Armendariz. In that speech Armendariz spoke of “crucifying” oil and gas companies that broke the law. Later Wednesday evening, Armendariz apologize for the comments, but by that time, several congressmen were already calling for his resignation.
Armendariz sent a letter Monday to his friends and supporters – as published in the Dallas Morning News:
Dear Friends,
I have been honored to serve as your regional administrator for EPA’s region 6 office the last 2 and ½ years. I never once forgot that the reason I was appointed was to serve you, to act as your voice, and to work day and night to better protect the environment and your safety.
Today I am resigning my position as regional administrator. This was not something that was asked of me by Administrator Jackson or the White House. It is a decision I made myself. I had become too much of a distraction, and no one person is more important than the incredible work being done by the rest of the team at EPA.
I leave with an incredible sense of pride for the things the Agency accomplished and it was fantastic to be a part of the effort. Administrator Jackson has overseen a renaissance in the Agency and it is again the global leader in environmental protection. President Obama has been incredibly supportive of me and my work and the Agency. He’ll undoubtedly go down as the most environmental president we have ever had.
Thank you all for letting me into your homes and communities, and showing me the challenges you face every day from pollution and lack of infrastructure. Your stories are now part of my fabric and the fabric of the Agency.
Best always,
Al Armendariz