A Santa Barbara County based Environmental Protection Agency official who oversaw the agency’s operations in four states has been fired by the Trump Administration. Mike Stoker was the EPA’s Region 9 Administrator for about two years. The EPA didn’t release any details other than to confirm he was dismissed.
In a letter to EPA staffers, Stoker said he believed the dismissal came because of clashes he had with leadership over a number of issues. Stoker also noted that he had received a warning he might be in trouble because he had been praised for some of his efforts by Democratic leaders.
Stoker is a Republican. He served two terms as a Santa Barbara County Supervisor, and also served as head of the California Agricultural Relations Board. Questions had been raised in the past about how much time he spent at the EPA region’s main office in San Francisco. He lived in Carpinteria, and he often worked remotely or at the EPA’s smaller LA office.
