Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 1, 1995 TAG: 9503010094
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEDFORD LENGTH: Medium
"My action is a pretty drastic step for me. I did not let go of 12 years of service lightly," Sligh said at a public hearing Tuesday night.
But after months of frustration, Sligh said he no longer could defend policies he believes are illegal and potentially harmful to human health and the environment.
Sligh made his case at a public hearing on proposed waste-water discharge permits for three small, private projects - a proposed retail center in Botetourt County, an apartment complex in Bedford County and a campground in Campbell County.
Also at the hearing were two attorneys with the Washington, D.C.-based Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, or PEER. The whistle-blower protection group has filed objections to the three permits and others around the state on behalf of Sligh and other state workers who remain anonymous.
"The [department] has not been candid with the public it is supposed to serve, has not been diligent," said PEER attorney Jeff Ruch.
The group claims that the department's standards for organic waste, chlorine, fecal coliform bacteria and toxics monitoring are inconsistent and fall short of state and federal requirements.
Ruch acknowledged that, taken separately, the standards in each permit may not pose much threat. In some cases, the difference between what the agency and what PEER say is correct boils down to a couple of grams of pollutants a day.
But the combined, long-term effect of the discharges can result in fish kills, a dwindling of shellfish harvesting, and poor water quality in Virginia's lakes and streams.
"The conditions in [these permits] are illegal, and a number of my colleagues in the DEQ believe the same thing," said Sligh, who worked in the Roanoke regional office. His immediate supervisors stymied his efforts to question policies, or simply ignored significant information, he said.
"There were numerous times where [employees] were ordered to take information out of files and fact sheets," Sligh said.
Neil Obenshain, head of the region's water programs, and Thomas Henderson, newly appointed regional director, attended the hearing. They had no comment.
Roanoke dentist Wendell Butler, a member of the state Water Control Board who conducted the hearing, said he was unfamiliar with the technical details of PEER's complaint. He said the matter likely will be discussed at the board's March 28 meeting.
Several agency staff members came to the hearing to offer "moral support," as one put it, including Sligh's wife, May, who inspects waste-water treatment facilities in the region.
She's unsure how her husband's actions will affect her job. "We'll see. We'll see," she said.
Some employees have said privately that they're wary of making waves until a long-awaited agency reorganization by director Peter Schmidt is complete. Originally set for today, the new lineup has been delayed until the end of the month.
Sligh said he plans to work part-time for a group fighting Appalachian Power Co.'s proposed high-voltage transmission line, part-time on his house, and part- time "making noise on behalf of state employees who are being mistreated."
by CNB