WASHINGTON — The director of the District of Columbia’s Department of Environment has been fired.

City Administrator Allen Lew announced the firing of Christophe Tulou on Friday, effective immediately.

Tony Robinson, a spokesman for Lew, says Tulou was fired for “a very serious breach of protocol.” Robinson says he can’t elaborate because the firing is a personnel matter.

Tulou had led the environmental agency since May 2010 and has years of experience in environmental policy. He has also worked as a Congressional staffer and as secretary of Delaware’s environmental department.

Keith Anderson, who had been Tulou’s chief of staff, will lead the agency on an interim basis while the city searches for a permanent replacement.

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