THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 18, 1995 TAG: 9510180468
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Short : 26 lines
An Allen administration appointee to the Virginia Pesticide Board was asked to resign Tuesday, after revelations that he did not meet the qualifications as a ``citizen'' member.
An environmental group had questioned the appointment this summer of R.B. ``Steve'' Smith Jr., an environmental engineer with Taylor-Ramsey Corp. of Lynchburg.
Citizen Action said Smith's appointment was improper because he holds a state pesticide application license. State law bars citizen representatives on state boards from having ties to the industries they oversee.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Betsy Beamer said the Allen administration was unaware of the license when Smith was appointed in July.
``Mr. Smith is someone the governor thinks highly of, and we hope he can serve the commonwealth in another capacity,'' Beamer said. by CNB