Environmentalists See Opportunity In Leadership Change At DENR

State environmental groups are hoping for stronger protections  now that the head of natural resources is moving on. John E Skvarla III is taking another position leading the state Commerce Department.

Many environmentalists welcomed his departure, including Amy Adams, a former DENR  regional supervisor. She left last year in protest over the direction of the department.

She now works as a campaign coordinator for the environmental non-profit Appalachian Voices. Adams says Skvarla's pro-business focus will be a better fit at the commerce department than at DENR.

“I think we're finally seeing where John Skvarla should have been since day one,” she says.

Adams says Skvarla lacked the science and regulatory background needed for the job.

Skvarla's departure is a chance to find someone with those skills, she says. But Adams is not overly optimistic that Gov. Pat McCrory is interested in a director with a strong record conserving the environment.

"It's a protect the economy or protect the environment kind of stance," she says. "Unfortunately, I do not hold out hope that we will have a strong environmental leader in North Carolina." 

Skvarla's tenure has had its share of criticism. Among the most controversial issues was the handling of a massive coal ash spill into the Dan River in February.

Dustin Chicurel-Bayard is director of communications for the North Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club. He says the Dan River spill was a wake-up call for North Carolinians that the state had gotten too close to the companies it regulates. He says McCrory can change that image by selecting a leader who will be proactive in protecting the environment.

“This is the governor's opportunity to right that ship, put someone in there who recognizes the ability for North Carolina to move forward in a very positive way," he says. "If there's anything short of that it is a missed opportunity.”

McCrory has said he hopes to appoint Skvarla's replacement at DENR by the end of the month.