Governor Phil Scott has appointed John Beling as the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, which oversees the state’s air quality, water quality and waste programs. Beling took over as interim commissioner on April 15 after Peter Walke resigned from the post. Walke, who was commissioner for two years, is now managing director of Efficiency Vermont, a nonprofit energy efficiency utility.
Previously, Beling was general counsel for the Department of Environmental Conservation, and was an attorney in several federal and state governmental agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency, attorneys general in Vermont and Massachusetts, Vermont’s Department of Public Service and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. In his new role, Beling will oversee 300 people who work throughout the department’s various divisions.
“It’s a really talented group of engineers and scientists, and they’re all people who work here because we have a mission,” Beling said. “It’s a really important job, and I think people get a lot out of it. And there’s a lot of work, so it’s good that they’re all so committed to what they’re doing.”