BATON ROUGE, La. – Gov. John Bel Edwards announced today that Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown has submitted his resignation, effective March 31st.

LDEQ Assistant Secretary for Assessment Roger Gingles will serve as interim secretary upon Sec. Brown’s resignation.

“I received Sec. Brown’s resignation today and regretfully accepted it,” Gov. Edwards said. “Chuck has done a fine job at LDEQ, successfully pushing for technology improvements at the department and being a key figure in the development and implementation of our coastal master plan and climate action plan. After more than seven years of faithful service to our state as secretary, he is ready for new challenges. Donna and I thank him for his dedication to our state.”

Sec. Brown, who had previously served as a LDEQ assistant secretary in Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s administration, was named LDEQ secretary when Gov. Edwards took office in 2016 and has served in that position ever since. He guided the agency through a period of change and challenge, overseeing LDEQ’s response to the 2016 Baton Rouge Flood and providing guidance through changes in federal administrations that led to evolving permitting and enforcement philosophies at EPA. Brown met those challenges head-on, relying on science and following environmental regulations. He refocused the agency on alternative fuels, conservation, recycling of resources and informed problem solving.

“I think the improvement in Louisiana’s air quality has been my proudest achievement,” Sec. Brown said. “This state is in attainment with all air quality standards for the EPA’s criteria pollutants except for two small areas in two parishes that the department is working to bring into attainment for sulfur dioxide.”

The six EPA criteria pollutants for air quality -- ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide – are key indicators of air quality.