Quick Poll

Do you think Sarah Palin will be using her book tour to gauge a pulse of America in order to launch a run for U.S. President in 2012?

Blogs

Angela McRae

Tea with friends

Deberah Williams

Everyday Finesse

Lorrie Lynch

Who's News

Published Monday, October 26, 2009 in Local

EPD director could be chosen on Wednesday

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Times-Herald

The director of Georgia's Environmental Protection Division, Carol Couch announced last Monday she would be resigning, effective today.

Cowetan Warren Budd, who serves on the board of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, expects to be voting to confirm her replacement Wednesday, when the DNR board is set to meet.

"I'm expecting them to come forward with somebody on Wednesday for us to vote on, but I don't know who it is," Budd said.

Though the DNR board is charged with hiring a replacement, Budd expects Gov. Sonny Perdue will recommend someone, and the board will take an up or down vote on that nominee.

Couch, who was the first female to head the EPD, will take a job as a professor in the University of Georgia's College of Environment and Design.

"I thought Carol did a good job, I liked Carol," said Budd.

But he wasn't surprised to hear of her resignation.

"She has the most difficult job in the state of Georgia," Budd said. "You have all of these competing interests: South Georgia farmers, North Georgia developers," fishermen, businessmen and everybody in between, "competing for resources. And she has an extremely difficult job trying to be fair to these different constituencies," Budd said.

"It's such a difficult job, it is very hard to do it for a very long period of time."

State Rep. Lynn Smith, R-Newnan, agreed.

"Six years is a long time to be EPD director," said Smith, who serves as chairwoman of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. "She told me it was just time to move on and that she would be available" to share her knowledge in the future, Smith said.

"She's got a lot to offer the state with her knowledge on water," Smith said. "She will be a renowned teacher and professor. She truly is an expert in the field of water, and that knowledge is going to continue to be available to the state of Georgia," Smith said.

"I wish her well. She was a steady director as we went through putting together the regional water councils and going through the debate on the state-wide water plan," Smith said. "I wish her well in her new career."

Comment On This Story

Times-Herald.com does not necessarily agree with the comments posted below. Responsibility of comments rests solely with the writer. Comments posted in ALL CAPS will be deleted.

Submission of a comment does not guarantee publication. Comments will be posted by a moderator after being scanned for abusive language, relevance, etc. See our Comments FAQ for more details.