On October 21, Dr. Moki was confirmed in a 8-2 vote to lead the Department of the Environment. We applaud Eric Olson (District 3) and Tom Dernoga (District 1) for their dissent. 300 emails were sent to the County Council, voicing your concerns on the confirmation of Dr. Moki. 45 residents signed up to use their voice and demand better. Thank you for your advocacy and know the fight continues.
The people of Prince George’s County deserve strong environmental leaders who are dedicated to protecting their communities, resources, and land. They deserve better than public servants who have been fired from their roles due to gross negligence.
Nature Forward has great concerns about the potential nomination of Dr. Samuel Moki to serve as the head of the Department of Environment (DoE). In 2007, Dr. Moki was fired from DoE for gross negligence and mismanagement of federal stormwater regulations. This led to fines that totaled hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.
At a time when Prince George’s County is experiencing extreme weather events due to climate change, we need leaders with a proven track record. Prince George’s County has asserted its commitment to protecting our environment. Dr. Moki has shown that he does not care about Prince George’s clean water. During his tenure, he was tasked with restoring 400 acres of impervious surface to align with the Clean Water Act. He only restored 45 acres.
Join us to protect the environmental goals that are set forth in the Climate Action Plan. We know there are many qualified and dedicated leaders who could fill this role. We urge the County Council to stand by their promises for a protected environment by finding a more suitable candidate than Dr. Moki.
The County Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy, and Environment Committee will be meeting on 10/9 at 10 am to discuss Dr. Moki’s confirmation for the leadership role (agenda here). The full Council will likely convene for a hearing in late October. Use the orange button below or follow this link to comment against his appointment. You can also write your Councilmembers using our form below.
