Ecology director resigning

OLYMPIA – Washington Ecology Director Maia Bellon will resign at the end of the year, she announced Monday.

Bellon, 50, is one of Gov. Jay Inslee’s longest serving cabinet members, appointed in February 2013 to manage the agency of more than 1,600 employees who enforce the state’s environmental regulations and monitor pollution.

In the press release announcing a decision she called “bittersweet,” Bellon said she intends to practice environmental law after “some time off reconnecting with friends and family.”

Inslee called her a “resolute leader who has made decisions based on science and data, listened to impacted communities and worked tirelessly to protect our state’s water, air and lands.”

He hasn’t yet decided whether an interim director will be appointed before a permanent replacement is selected, a spokeswoman said.