New DEP Secretary Expects To Make The Tough Decisions
New West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Randy Huffman is the first one to admit he doesn't have all the answers, but he says he'll work to get them.
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Huffman, who has filled many roles at DEP for 21-years, says he'll run the agency much like Timmermyer did during the Wise administration and the last four years under Governor Joe Manchin. Huffman says that will include making the tough decisions.
"Our nature is to want to be facilitators and mediators and help people through their problems," he recently told MetroNews. "But at the end of the day, sometimes a decision is going to have to be made that upsets someone and that's the nature of the beast."
Huffman says he'll use the expertise already on staff at DEP to help him make those decisions.
Secretary Huffman says he'll make no wholesale changes at the DEP. He says that's one reason why he got the job. He says the governor likes the direction things are currently headed.
Huffman promises DEP will be vigilant when it comes to coal mining regulations. "There's a demand to get the coal out of the ground, but our job is to make sure the environment is protected in the process. We don't want to sacrifice anything in the long-term for short-term gain and short-term profits," he said.
The secretary also anticipates the identification of the state's water resources and protecting the state's water to be growing concerns.
"We have a lot of high-quality water," Huffman said. "And we want to protect it for our future use."
