Allison out of top position at SRS 9/29/2009 11:18 PM
By MIKE GELLATLY Staff writer
Jeff Allison, the Department of Energy's top man at Savannah River Site for the past six and a half years, is no longer in that position, and his leaving seems to be mired in controversy and possibly an act of corporate retaliation.
A statement was made Tuesday morning at the Citizen Advisory Board meeting in Charleston by Ines Triay, deputy assistant secretary of DOE Environmental Management (EM), who announced Allison was no longer site manager.
According to a document obtained by the Aiken Standard, Allison "graciously agreed to take on a new temporary assignment starting on Oct. 1, 2009."
"As Jeff agreed, our plan is for him to direct the EM small site completion program activities providing day-to-day management of the small site managers and federal project directors in the field," according to the document.
However, an e-mail sent by Allison to DOE officials early Tuesday, as well as several other documents, paint a picture of Allison's reassignment as less than gracious.
"It's full of untruths, namely, I did not agree to the detail to HQ (DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C.) or to the unconditional reassignment to small sites," Allison wrote to DOE EM spokesperson Shari Davenport, among others, discussing the announcement of his reassignment. "I did not volunteer for this detail; in fact, I was directed by Ines that I would go along with this detail and put a positive spin on it to my staff and stakeholders. Further, Ines threatened me on Friday, Sept. 25, taking her previous offer of reassignment off the table."
Allison and named recipient, Davenport, were asked to confirm details of the e-mail, and neither denied the e-mail's authenticity.
"Ines" is not identified further in the e-mail, although it is copied to Ines Triay. "Dae" is also referenced but not further identified; however, Dae Chung, principal deputy assistant secretary for DOE EM, is also copied.
"I consider this dramatic change retaliation as a result of my participation in recent IG (DOE Inspector General) investigation on the ethics allegations about Cynthia Anderson, Vince Adams and Rod Rimando," Allison wrote in the e-mail.
Allison wrote in the e-mail that until he gets written assurances from "Ines" and "Dae" on their original offer, he can't "stop being afraid for the sake of (his) career and family."
"This announcement continues to demonstrate the hostile work environment and now retaliation I am undergoing by Ines and Dae. Additionally, I'm referring this matter to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) for review," Allison wrote in the e-mail.
OSC is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency whose primary mission is to protect federal employees and others from prohibited personnel practices.
The ethics investigation is focused on Anderson, DOE EM's head of Recovery Act work. The anonymous complaint claims Anderson acted unethically in specific hirings, unduly influenced others on-site and favored specific areas for Recovery Act job fairs due to the Congressional district in which the areas fell.
According to Allison's e-mail, his temporary replacement, Dr. Vincent Adams, is under investigation by the Inspector General. Adams has agreed to serve as acting manager for the site "for the next several months," it was announced this morning. Adams has been working under Anderson in his most recent assignment.
Sources at SRS familiar with the investigation report that the 12-person investigation team requested all e-mails that have been sent by Adams, Anderson and Rimando for review.
An issue at the forefront is that Allison is being undermined after aiding the ethics investigation, according to a complaint to the IG and a separate letter sent from SRS workers directly to Energy Secretary Steven Chu Tuesday.
In the letter to Chu, signed "Concerned Americans and SR Site Workers," Allison is praised, stating "his only weakness seems to be honesty." The same letter lambasts "Ines, Dae, Cynthia, Vince and Rod" as having "agendas of greed and power."
Allison was the longest-tenured manager at any site within the EM complex.
He is the second high-level official to depart the Savannah River Site as he follows former Savannah River Nuclear Solutions head Chuck Munns off the site. Munns retired and was replaced as president and CEO.
"The Department of Energy takes our mission at the Savannah River Site and our obligations to the community very seriously," DOE said when asked about the situation. "We are committed to timely, effective cleanup of the site, protecting public health while creating jobs the community needs. We are committed to the highest standards of excellence at the Savannah River Site and believe we owe the community nothing less."
Contact Mike Gellatly at mgellatly@aikenstandard.com.
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Comment Title: PROTECT AMERICA
SRS PERSONEL DROPPED NECULAR MATERAL IN A VAT OF ACID BY ACCIDENT . THIS COULD OF CAUSED A NECULAR EXPLOSION .SRS FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE RECEIVING DEFECTIVE MATERIALS WHEN A STEEL BEAM SNAPPED . THE LIST IS ENDLESS .... THEY ALL SHOULD GO!!!!
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Posted by: Concerned Aiken Citizen On: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 10:12 PM
Comment Title: DOE Will Regret the Choice of Fluor SRNS
In all the years that WSRC was the M&O Contrator, there were very few instances of accidents or safety concerns. They followed all procedures and policies. DOE is regretting the decision they made. Sounds like someone got a kickback by replacing the incumbent with SRNS. Hostile is a mild term compared to what is really happening.
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Posted by: On: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 7:53 PM
Comment Title: Tip of the Iceberg
To those familiar with the operations of the savannah river site, this doesn't come as a surprise. Corruption at high levels of management of DOE, SRNS and SRR is the "path forward?"
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Posted by: On: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 12:58 PM
Comment Title: Couldn't get the Job done
Allison simply couldn't get the job done and has never got it done. This fact simply made it's way to the top after many years of E.O.E. and A.A. Policy at SRNS. No one complaining but Allison on his own private little SRNS
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Posted by: On: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 11:49 AM
Comment Title: Everyone is Dirty
No one is innocent in this investigation. They all have dirty hands and the investigation will reveal that.
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Posted by: On: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 9:57 AM
Comment Title: Believe it!
The areas are Clyburn's districts. Also, when is SRNS (Flour) management going to be investigated? Talk about mismanagement. The terms power and greed describe more than DOE, SRNS latched on to those sentiments the moment they walked in the door - or through the barricade. To make matters worse, instead of utilizing the experienced people at SRS (who have been there for years) they keep bringing in more and more of their flour buddies to get in on the fun (ie the Micro-management of weapons grade nuclear materials - yeah think about that one for a second). In the meantime, workers are getting hurt and all eyes turn to the fault of the employees. It is a mess Aiken.
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Posted by: IamPossum On: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 7:02 AM
Comment Title: Allison
Who knows what shenanigans are going on with all that money at SRS. There was bound to be some shady business and either Allison particpated or is a victim. In any case, he never was very personable, often snooty, and that was a big strike against him.
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