It’s the end of an era in West Virginia. Due to term limits, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (Democrat) could not run for reelection this past November. Jim Justice (also a Democrat) won that election. Upon assuming office this month, Justice appointed a new head of the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection–Austin Caperton. It’s only natural for an incoming governor to pick his own team, even if the outgoing governor was from the same party. And, we suppose, it’s only natural that the new head of a department (Caperton) would want his own team too. In a move that appears to have generated some controversy, Caperton has given the boot to the leader of the DEP’s Office of Environmental Advocate, Wendy Radcliff, as well as the DEP’s communications director, Kelley Gillenwater. Radical anti groups like the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, West Virginia Sierra Club and the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition were up in arms over the firing of Radcliff. Which must mean it was a good move…
It’s the end of an era in West Virginia. Due to term limits, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (Democrat) could not run for reelection this past November. Jim Justice (also a Democrat) won that election. Upon assuming office this month, Justice appointed a new head of the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection–Austin Caperton. It’s only natural for an incoming governor to pick his own team, even if the outgoing governor was from the same party. And, we suppose, it’s only natural that the new head of a department (Caperton) would want his own team too. In a move that appears to have generated some controversy, Caperton has given the boot to the leader of the DEP’s Office of Environmental Advocate, Wendy Radcliff, as well as the DEP’s communications director, Kelley Gillenwater. Radical anti groups like the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, West Virginia Sierra Club and the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition were up in arms over the firing of Radcliff. Which must mean it was a good move…