Environmental Law

Tom Fidler Praised for Brownfield Work in Pennsylvania

By M. Joel Bolstein

Three DEP Secretaries praised Deputy Secretary Tom Fidler last night at his retirement party in Harrisburg for his many contributions to Pennsylvania's award winning brownfield program.  Current Secretary John Hanger, along with former Secretaries Jim Seif and Katie McGinty, all offered Tom their thanks and spoke of Tom's commitment to brownfields redevelopment, recognizing him as instrumental to the creation of the Land Recycling Program and its continued success.  Those in attendance from the early days of Act 2 included myself, former DEP Chief Counsel, Terry Bossert, and former Deputy Secretary Bob Barkanic.  Tom's staff, including bureau directors from air, waste management, and radiation protection, all wished Tom well in his retirement.   In speaking with Tom, my guess is that we haven't seen the last of him.  While the prospect of more time for leisure pursuits looks enticing, Tom's still a young guy and he has developed an incredible skill set in his many years at DEP.  My expectation is that he's likely to find some way that he can continue what he started, helping redevelop brownfield properties and creating new jobs and economic opportunities in Pennsylvania.     

Full post as published by PA Brownfields Environmental Law on June 19, 2009 (boomark / email).