Word: Environmentalists cry foul over EPD boss
October 31, 2009 at 12:02 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsOn Oct. 28, Gov. Sonny Perdue named King & Spalding partner Allen Barnes the new state Environmental Protection Division director. Environmental advocates cried foul over Perdue’s decision, as Barnes’ former employer represents two proposed coal plants, as well as the state of Georgia in the ongoing “water wars” debacle with Alabama and Florida.
“Generally, if you get a partner coming over from a big firm when there is activity going on between the firm’s clients and that agency, there is a lot of potential for conflict.”
— Environmental lawyer Gil Rogers, in an Oct. 27 Fulton Daily Report article
“[Proposed coal plants Longleaf and Washington] are both being handled by a team at King & Spalding, and now a member of that team is going to be making the decisions [as to whether those plants will be built]. How is the public going to have any faith that the decisions made about the two biggest new pollution sources ever to come into Georgia have been made impartially?”
— Environmental lawyer Justine Thompson, in the same Fulton Daily Report story
“A single law firm that represents a large number of polluters is suddenly moving personnel into state government positions that directly affect its clients. It’s hard to put it in a happy light if you care about natural resources and the public interest in them.”
— Sierra Club lobbyist Neill Herring, in an Oct. 27 interview with the Savannah Morning News
“I need to sit down with the counsel and make a very thoughtful and deliberative decision as to what’s proper and what is required in that area. We’ll certainly make that decision.”
— Barnes on if he’d recuse himself from decisions involving King & Spalding, in an Oct. 28 interview with Capitol Impact’s Tom Crawford
October 31st, 2009 at 3:34 pm
The bought game of Sonny and King & Spalding is contemptible. But at least you found and passed along the inside story so we know why this particular lawyer was picked for EPD. The corruption of our political system by big money interests knows no bounds – and of course Southern Co has owned GA’s pols forever.