EPA Manager Who Called 'Crucify' Quits

The regional Environmental Protection Agency executive who told an audience his “philosophy of enforcement” was to “crucify” and “make examples of” energy companies has quit.

In a letter to EPA administrator Lisa Jackson over the weekend, Al Armendariz, the former top environmental official in the South and Southwest Region, said he regretted the comments but boasted of his “integrity and hard work.”

“As I have expressed publicly, and to you directly, I regret comments I made several years ago that do not in any way reflect my work as regional administrator,” he wrote. “As importantly, they do not represent the work you have overseen as EPA administrator.”

He continued, “I take great pride in having built a career based on integrity and hard work. These are the principles that guide me personally as well. While I feel there is much work that remains to be done for the people of this country in the region that I serve, after a great deal of thought and careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that my continued service will distract you and the agency from its important work.”

His words came in a Texas meeting in 2010.