E.P.A. Official Who Resigned Over 'Crucify' Comment Joins Sierra Club Al Armendariz, who resigned from the Environmental Protection Agency at the end of April after it came to light that he had suggested that the agency "crucify" polluters to deter others, is joining the Sierra Club to work on its campaign to end the use of coal. A former regional administrator based in Texas, he embarrassed the administration for what top officials called his "inappropriate and inaccurate" comments on the agency's enforcement policy. He will join the Sierra Club's "Beyond Coal" campaign as a senior campaign representative based in Austin. "This is an exciting day for clean energy and public health supporters in Texas," said Bruce Niles, a top Sierra Club official. Al has worked closely with the Sierra Club for many years, as an environmental scientist and professor. He understands the critical importance of developing clean energy to create jobs, protect people and protect air and water. Senator James Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma, unearthed and publicized a 2010 video of Dr. Armendariz speaking to local business and government leaders about his approach to enforcing regulations on hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas extraction. ""It is kind of like how the Romans used to conquer villages in the Mediterranean - they'd go into a little Turkish town somewhere and they'd find the first five guys they saw and they'd crucify them," he said on the tape. ""Then that little town was really easy to manage for the next few years." His superiors at the E.P.A. quickly distanced themselves from the remarks and within days he was gone. Senator Inhofe, a harsh critic of the Obama administration's approach to environmental regulation, said on Friday: "I would like to congratulate Dr. Armendariz for his new job as a key player in the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign. At least at the Sierra Club he won't get into so much trouble for telling the truth that their true agenda is to kill oil, gas and coal. Here's the Sierra Club announcement.