Al Armendariz, the former EPA Region Six administrator who resigned after controversy erupted over remarks he made about EPA enforcement, will join the  Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign, according to a statement released by the Sierra Club this afternoon.

Armendariz oversaw the EPA in Texas during a tense era in the state’s relationship with the federal agency. He became a lighting rod for criticism from state industry, while attracting kudos from environmentalists for going after polluters in Texas.

His opponents found a powerful weapon against him when a video was unearthed of him equating his strategies for enforcing environmental regulations to the tactics of the ancient roman empire.

Armendariz resigned, he said, to save the EPA from controversy stemming from those remarks.

Armendariz’s move will likely be seen by his opponents as proof he was always an environmental activist in the role of state regulator. The Sierra Club, for its part, has hired a staff member with high-level experience in the Federal Agency. It’s an acquisition that should serve the group well as it continues its push against coal power.