Allison out of top position at SRS

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.