The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) allowed a hazardous spills response supervisor to stay on the job without a six-month review despite being “incapable” of doing that job and potentially endangering employees and the public, a new state audit found.
State auditors John C. Geragosian and Robert M. Ward reported the situation, which DEEP acknowledged in its response should have been addressed in a six-month review that was not performed. Hired in Aug. 2014, the employee eventually requested a demotion in November of 2015 and received it this past January, auditors said.
“It was evident that the employee hired to fill the … position was incapable of performing the duties of the position before the demotion, yet was compensated at a supervisory level. We have significant concerns about the apparent waste of resources and the burdens placed on the other employees within the division, which could potentially threaten the safety of employees and the public at large,” the auditors wrote.
DEEP responded that while it “agreed to grant the employee’s request, DEEP does not agree that this action was needed for safety reasons. DEEP strongly disagrees with any suggestion that the decision to hire this individual at any time threatened the safety of the public or other DEEP employees.”
DEEP also disputed in the report that the individual was unqualified to do the work.
The audit contained 17 recommendations, 16 of which were repeated from a year earlier. Other serious issues include failing to issue permits in a timely manner and needing to recover overpayments totaling $958,774. The audit recommends improving permitting processes and internal controls to prevent such overpayments.
