Don’t Let the $139,000 Door Hit You on the Way Out, Secretary Zinke

WASHINGTON – Ryan Zinke, who will leave his post as Secretary of the Interior by the end of the year, had no business leading that agency.

The following is a statement from Ana Unruh Cohen, managing director for government affairs for the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“Ryan Zinke was wholly unqualified to lead the Department of the Interior.  He lacks the ethics, integrity and the dedication to the agency’s core mission to act as a steward for America’s public lands, wildlife and natural resources.  Instead of protecting our natural heritage, Zinke acted like the chief lobbyist for the oil and gas industries. If his successor also puts the interests of polluters ahead of safeguarding public health and the environment, he or she will encounter the same wall of resistance.”

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.​