The resignation of the top official in the Environmental Protection Agency's South and Southwest region – the heart of oil and gas country – is providing further ammunition to GOP lawmakers who have been vocal critics of the agency.
Al Armendariz, EPA's Region 6 administrator, resigned after a two-year-old video in which he used the word "crucify" to describe his enforcement approach to firms that break environmental laws became public and caused a national stir.
Armendariz, appointed by President Obama in 2009, sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on April 29 apologizing for the remarks. Jackson accepted his resignation on April 30.
In the 2010 video, Armendariz said that, like Roman conquerors who "crucified" local townspeople to make examples of them, he sought to make examples of oil and gas companies that broke environmental laws.
