A member of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been elevated to the chairmanship as of Aug. 31, the agency announced Tuesday.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott selected Jon Niermann as TCEQ chairman for an indefinite term, according to a press release. He replaces Bryan Shaw, who retired Friday after nearly 11 years on the commission and just shy of nine years as chairman.
Niermann has served as a commissioner since 2015. An attorney, he has served in the private and public sectors, including as head of the Texas Attorney General’s Office Environmental Protection Division.
There was no immediate word Tuesday on who would replace Niermann on the three-person commission.
This is the latest of several reshufflings at the commission. In August, Abbott appointed Commissioner Toby Baker as TCEQ executive director. He was replaced by Emily Lindley, who had worked at TCEQ for more than a decade.
The regulatory responsibilities of the nearly 3,000-employee agency cover oversight of nuclear waste management in the state. That primarily involves the Waste Control Specialists complex in Andrews County, one of four active facilities licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for disposal of low-level radioactive waste.