EPA Ombudsman Resigns

Danielle Jackson

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ombudsman Robert Martin, who filed a lawsuit against the EPA to block the agency from moving his office from the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) to the Office of Inspector General (IOG), has resigned.

EPA administrator Christie Whitman has claimed that the move would give Martin "more independence and the impartiality necessary to conduct credible inquiries." But Martin, whose job includes handling Superfund claims, contended that it would render him dependent and powerless. He filed suit against the EPA late last year asking to block the move, but a federal court on Feb. 12 rejected his challenge, and his office was moved a few weeks ago.