RICHMOND, VA — Today, Governor Northam re-appointed David Paylor as director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
Mike Tidwell, Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, stated:
“Governor Northam has taken several positive steps since taking office to improve environmental protection and advocacy in the state. He has supported joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and has pushed Dominion Energy to invest more in renewable power and efficiency. But today, the Governor has seriously dropped the ball in re-appointing David Paylor as director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
“Any quick Google search of Paylor’s name brings up stories of serious controversy. In 12 years at the DEQ helm, Paylor has consistently sided with polluting industries over environmental advocacy groups. Paylor, above all else, is very, very cozy with the state’s biggest polluter, Dominion Energy. The director has outraged health and environmental leaders by siding with Dominion on the dumping of coal ash in rivers and, most notoriously, the construction of patently harmful pipelines for fracked gas like the ACP and MVP. Paylor barely hides his close connection to Dominion. In 2013, he accepted an all-expenses-paid trip from Dominion to the Masters Golf Tournament in Georgia, including a fully paid bar tab.
“Governor Northam, today, missed an important opportunity to take a concrete step forward for the environment by replacing Paylor with someone who truly values the protection of the environment. We call on the Governor to reconsider his decision and replace Paylor as soon as possible.”
###
CONTACT:
Denise Robbins, Communications Director, 608-620-8819, denise@chesapeakeclimate.org
Mike Tidwell, Director, 240-460-5838, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org
