LePage's DEP Pick May Violate Federal Law

The problem with only picking industry cronies to serve in your administration is that occasionally people might call you on your bullshit. And sometimes, it can violate ethics statutes. This appears to be the case for LePage's industry-riffic pick to head the Department of Environmental Protection, Daryl Brown.

Mr. Brown, you see, owns a company that helps developers get state permits, and has appeared before the DEP numerous times on behalf of developers. Thus, a significant amount of his income comes from sources likely to be polluters. The federal clean water act states that one may not head the DEP if one receives more than 10 percents of ones income from water polluting permit holders.

Now members of a Maine environmental group are asking the federal EPA to make a ruling on Brown's eligibility.

So is Brown's appointment illegal? I have no idea. Hopefully it is, but I somehow doubt the EPA will rule against him. Still, the issue serves to highlight just how far up the river LePage is willing to sell Maine's environment. There is no corporate crony too business or industry beholden to be a member of his disaster of an administration.