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Thomas P. Eichler
Biography
[EPA press release - June 27, 1983]
William D. Ruckelshaus, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, today announced the appointments of three new regional administrators.
Ruckelshaus is appointing Michael R. Deland to head EPA's Region I headquartered in Boston, Thomas P. Eicher to head Region III in Philadelphia, and John G. Welles to head Region VIII in Denver.
Deland will be responsible for administering and enforcing all EPA programs in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Eichler will head the agency's activities in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Welles will head the agency's activities in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
"These men have the management skills and the experience in environmental issues that will be needed as regional administrators under the more expanded role I am assigning the regional offices," Ruckelshaus said. "Mike brings nearly five years of agency enforcement experience back to Region I. Tom has a grasp of local and state environmental problems that only his years of experience at that level of government can bring. And John Welles comes to the agency after an impressive career in research and management of natural resources."
Eichler, who has been Delaware's Director of the Division of Environmental Control from 1979 to the present, was responsible for state programs to control air and water quality, solid and hazardous wastes, wetlands, coastal management and land use planning law.
In this position, he won successful General Assembly enactment of hazardous waste, noise and drought emergency powers' legislation, and brought major interstate negotiations to a successful conclusion for managing the Delaware River as chairman of a five-party group that includes New York State, the city of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
From 1973 to 1979, he served as special assistant to the Commissioner of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and as director of program development, planning and research.
Eichler holds masters degrees in public administration and political science from the State University of New York. He has a bachelor of science degree in political science from Syracuse University, and was in the executive program in environmental policy and management at Harvard University.