DEC Commissioner stepping down from role
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)---After nearly a decade, Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos announced he is leaving the position.
He reflected on his time as commissioner. The first couple weeks on the job helped to define his career.
"We got news that the village of Hoosick Falls, not far from here, lost it's water supply because of contamination. It hit us like a freight train of course, when a village loses it’s water supply to pollution," explained Seggos. "That puts us all on this kind of war footing which is what we had to get onto and that was 4,000 people who needed help right away."
He said during that time, DEC preformed like a plumbing company and installed over 800 treatment systems in homes.
"That to me was trial by fire for this agency, dealing with a high profile issue like that, and ultimately using the lessons to help guide me as a commissioner for years to come."
Another proud achievement was growing the agency following staffing cuts in the early 2000s.
"When you talk about protecting water supplies in Hoosick Falls, or you talk about any of those really scary moments when there’s a storm and people need to respond to it and we need to be a partner in rebuilding a part of the state, you need staff to do it."
He plans on leaving DEC once the state budget gets passed in April.
"I won’t completely leave the energy environment climate space. I mean that’s my career and it’s what I love and I’m passionate about."
As for his next job, he says it's a secret. He plans on taking some time off first.