Indiana environmental chief leaving for federal agency job

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The head of Indiana's environmental oversight department for the past five years is leaving that position for a job with the federal government.

The governor's office announced this past week that Bruno Pigott is resigning as commissioner of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management effective Dec. 3. Pigott is taking a new job as deputy assistant administrator in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water.

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb said Pigott has been dedicated to balancing business and protection of the environment during his more than 20 years with the state agency.

Holcomb appointed Pigott as IDEM commissioner in 2017 after he previously was the agency's chief of staff and leader of its Office of Water Quality.

The governor credited Pigott with accomplishments that include eliminating a backlog of thousands of pending business permits and helping oversee the cleanup of lead contaminated soil and water in an East Chicago neighborhood.

Holcomb hasn't yet named a replacement to head the agency, which has about 750 employees and oversees implementation of federal and state pollution regulations.