Ryan Flynn Reconfirmed as Head of New Mexico Environment Department

The New Mexico State Senate Friday unanimously reconfirmed state Environment Department Secretary Ryan Flynn in a 36-0 vote. Flynn has served in the position since April 2013 and has gained attention in recent months after imposing more than $50 million in penalties against the Department of Energy for violations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and Los Alamos National Laboratory. “Secretary Flynn has shown himself to be an outstanding leader of the New Mexico Environment Department,” New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez (R) said in a statement. “He brings a balanced approach to environmental issues, basing decisions on sound science and facts. He has already demonstrated his strong leadership at the Environment Department by playing the role of lead negotiator for the state in the Regional Haze Settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency and PNM. He has also proven himself to be a tough, but consistent regulator and a champion for rural communities, particularly when it comes to ensuring our rural areas have access to clean and reliable supplies of drinking water.”