September 1, 1999
Contact Tad Boggs, (919) 733-5612
HOLMAN TAKES REINS OF GOV. HUNT'S ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS
RALEIGH -- Bill Holman, sworn in today as the head of the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), pledged to use the remaining 16 months of the Hunt administration to continue the state's efforts to restore and protect air and water quality.
"Under Gov. Hunt's leadership, we have made great strides in cleaning up our rivers and our air," Holman said following swearing-in ceremonies in the House Chamber of the State Capitol. "We enjoy an outstanding quality of life in North Carolina. To maintain it we must all work together to make sure we continue to have a strong economy and healthy environment. We can achieve great things over the next 16 months, and I look forward to working with all groups -- the business community, local government, farmers and environmental interests -- to make sure North Carolina continues to be the best place to live, work and visit."
At the swearing-in ceremonies, Hunt called Holman the right person to lead DENR into the next century.
"With Bill Holman's appointment, we're setting a new standard for environmental protection in our state, and there's no turning back," Hunt said. "Future occupants of the governor's office will have a new threshold of excellence to meet when it comes to naming the chief environmental officer."
N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice-designate Henry E. Frye, who will be sworn in next week, presided over the ceremony for Holman, who has more than 20 years of across-the-board environmental experience and served as a chief lobbyist for the N.C. Sierra Club and Conservation Council and as director of government relations for The Nature Conservancy. Holman, DENR's assistant secretary for environmental protection, replaces Wayne McDevitt, who was appointed as Hunt's new chief of staff.
Hunt cited Holman's strong environmental background, as well as his commitment to balancing protection of the state's natural resources with economic growth. "He has the knowledge, but more than that he has the understanding of how DENR affects our lives and economy in so many ways," Hunt said.
DENR is North Carolina's lead environmental regulatory agency. With 3,400 employees spread out across North Carolina, the agency is charged with conserving and protecting the state's natural resources.
Holman came to DENR in January 1998 to supervise all of the department's environmental divisions - the Division of Water Quality, Division of Air Quality, Division of Waste Management, Division of Water Resources, Division of Land Resources, Division of Radiation Protection, Division of Coastal Management, Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance and the Division of Environmental Health.
During his year and a half at the department, Holman has played a critical role in the DENR's efforts to work with the state Commerce Department and the state Department of Transportation to ensure the long-term environmental impact of new roads and business were thoroughly evaluated.
Holman helped to push key environmental legislation, including the 1999 Clean Air and Clean Water packages signed by Hunt in July, through the 1999 General Assembly. The air-quality bill will reduce car and truck emissions, a major contributor to ozone smog. The water legislation extends the moratorium on new or expanded large-scale hog farms, toughens penalties for all water polluters and imposes public disclosure requirements for spills at wastewater treatment plants and from animal operations. The bill also authorizes the Environmental Management Commission to adopt temporary rules to protect water quality in the Cape Fear, Catawba and Tar-Pamlico River basins.
As secretary, Hunt has also charged Holman with building on that progress, implementing his hog lagoon conversion plan, continuing the crackdown on sedimentation and run-off from construction sites, and carrying out his clean air package which calls for significant reductions in emissions from the state's largest utilities.
Prior to beginning his work at DENR, Holman served as a lobbyist and consultant for the Conservation Council and Sierra Club. Holman also lobbied for the N.C. Chapter of the American Planning Association, N.C. Public Transportation Association and the N.C. Coalition for Public Transportation. In 1985, legislators, lobbyists and news reporters ranked him as one of the top 10 most-effective lobbyists in the General Assembly. In 1997, Holman joined the N.C. Chapter of The Nature Conservancy as its first Director of Government Relations.
Holman graduated with honors from North Carolina State University. Last year, he received the university's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Distinguished Alumnus Award.
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