"Environmental groups want Board of Environmental Safety member Rhys Williams to resign over ties to a lobbying firm — the latest Newsom aide to land a plum state board seat. Legal experts say his appointment isn’t illegal — but one ethics scholar says it raises a much bigger question about public trust."
"Environmental groups are demanding the resignation of the Board of Environmental Safety’s newest member, Rhys Williams, because of his work as a lobbyist for a firm that represents clients that handle toxic materials.
The board decides appeals involving hazardous waste facilities permitted by the Department of Toxic Substances Control. Lawmakers created the board in 2021 to strengthen oversight of the department, increase transparency, and give communities disproportionately burdened by hazardous waste a stronger voice.
Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Williams in January. Until recently Williams served as Newsom’s deputy chief of staff. In a letter addressed to Williams and copied to the board and the department, environmental groups expressed concerns with Williams’ work for a lobbying firm, Axiom Advisors. Axiom’s client list includes Clean Harbors, a hazardous waste management company, and GKN Aerospace, the company at the center of a chemical incident that prompted an evacuation order for thousands of Orange County residents in May."
Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Jeanne Kuang report for CalMatters July 24, 2026.
