Department of Natural Resources Secretary Jack Caldwell announced today a new Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Conservation. James H. Welsh, Director of the Injection and Mining Division for the department since 1983, was named to the position effective April 15, 1996.

DNR's Conservation Commissioner George Carmouche said that he is eager to work with Welsh, who has a very broad and diverse knowledge of the conservation office and its functions. Carmouche noted that Welsh has thirty-one years of service to the Office of Conservation. His work has included directing and managing underground injection activities, commercial disposal of nonhazardous oilfield waste, underground storage of hydrocarbons in salt domes, and lignite surface mining and reclamation operations for the state.

Welsh is a certified professional geologist. He began his career service in 1965, in the Louisiana Geological Survey. In 1972, he was promoted within the Office of Conservation, working primarily in petroleum unitization matters of North Louisiana. As director of the office's Injection and Mining Division, Welsh has been responsible for major environmental programs.

He has been a liaison with the state legislature for over ten years on matters of oil and gas legislation. Welsh was the key editor of 1986 legislation concerning pit regulations in the state known as Statewide Order 29-B. Welsh also developed national hazardous waste injection well regulations as a member of a federal negotiating task force.

Welsh currently serves on Louisiana's Ground Water Advisory Group and the state's NORM Advisory Group. He is a native of Laurel, Mississippi.

Editors: For more information, please contact DNR's Public Information Office at (504) 342-8955.