Assemblyman Peter Lopez Picked as New EPA Regional Administrator
ALBANY — State Assemblyman Peter Lopez will take over this weekend as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's top official in a region that reaches from the Adirondacks to the storm-wracked Caribbean.
The Schoharie County Republican was named Thursday morning as the new administrator of the EPA's Region 2, which covers New York and New Jersey as well as the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lopez, who did not respond to interview requests, is slated to join the agency on Sunday.
As regional administrator, Lopez will be responsible for the agency's response to such local environmental issues as ongoing issues related to PFOA contamination in the Rensselaer County communities of Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh. Both the EPA and state agencies drew criticism for their initial response to the contamination.
Lopez is sure to be thrust into the agency's response to hurricane devastation in the Caribbean. EPA's role during such crises includes dealing with drinking water, sewage and sites rendered toxic by storm damage...