The South Coast Air Quality Management District Board voted Friday to fire its long-time executive officer, Barry Wallerstein.
Wallerstein was at the helm of the agency for nearly 20 years. And his removal happened behind closed doors on the coattails of a 7-6 party-line vote.
The AQMD regulates air quality in much of LA, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.
And it happened just few weeks after another regulatory agency, the California Coastal Commission, got rid of its leader, Charles Lester.