EPA Announces Director for Gulf of Mexico Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of Ben Scaggs
as the Director of the Gulf of Mexico Program. Scaggs will be responsible for overseeing a program designed to facilitate collaborative actions to protect, maintain, and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico.

Scaggs began his career working or the Veterans Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives then transitioned to work as a legislative assistant for Congressman G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery representing Mississippi's 3rd District. After completing a Master's degree in Public Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill he worked for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He joined EPA in 1991 and currently serves as EPA’s Office Director overseeing the Agency's operation in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Over the course of his 20 years at the Agency he has worked in the Office of Air and Radiation and as an acting Enforcement Branch Chief, in Region 4.

The Gulf of Mexico Program began in 1988. The program is financially supported by the Environmental Protection Agency and is a non-regulatory consortium of state and federal government agencies and representatives of the business and agricultural community, fishing industry, scientists, environmentalists, and community leaders from all five Gulf States.  More than 60 percent of America’s waters drain into the Gulf.

Read the original news release here.