The name Scott Nally may not have dominated headlines during his time as head of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, but he stayed busy during his three years in office.
Nally studied in North Carolina and Wyoming and most recently served as assistant commissioner for Indiana’s environmental program.
While head of Ohio’s EPA, Nally worked with the department of natural resources to revamp standards for fracking and horizontal drilling. The agencies also joined with the agriculture department to come up with new recommended guidelines for nutrient management, a process that could help cut down on algae growth.
Nally also started a long-term project to switch certain authority of the Clean Water Act from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the state EPA.
Nally saw some controversy after the publicized resignation of one of his chiefs, George Elmaraghy, who claimed he was being forced out because of pressure from the coal industry. The EPA said it would not discuss personnel matters.
There’s no word yet on the cause of Nally’s resignation, only that he wanted to pursue “other opportunities.” In a statement, Gov. John Kasich commended Nally for his service then appointed his top environmental advisor, Craig Butler, to take over as interim director.
