Nation's CSEPP chief loses job over e-mail debacle

This story was published Fri, Oct 4, 2002

By Karen Zacharias
Herald Oregon bureau

UMATILLA -- An e-mail debacle has landed a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory employee in hot water with the Pentagon.

Larry Skelly, an Army contractor based in Virginia, was booted from his job as head of the nation's Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program this week.

But an Army spokesman said Thursday that Skelly will continue to provide technical assistance to the Army. Jim Dries will replace Skelly as head of the program.

The public relations fracas occurred over a series of e-mails exchanged between Skelly and other Army brass, in which they suggested a scheme to discredit state and local people at the Anniston, Ala., Depot.

Mario Fiori, the Army's boss for the chemical demilitarization program, devised a plan to embarrass Anniston officials. Fiori told Skelly to invite Anniston's local government to participate in training exercises, knowing that Anniston officials would turn down the invitation because of continued bickering over who would pay for protection gear for the first-responders.

Then, Fiori and Skelly planned to alert news media that the Alabama community refused to prepare for a disaster.

When the e-mails between the Pentagon brass were made public, the Anniston community had a fit, demanding that Skelly and Fiori be replaced. In a letter sent to U.S. Rep. Bob Riley, R-Ala., Calhoun County commissioners urged Riley to take action.

"We hope you will confront Dr. Fiori about this matter and that strong and decisive personal actions will be undertaken to ensure this outrageous behavior does not recur," the letter said.

Skelly declined to comment.

Staci Maloof, a PNNL spokeswoman, said the feedback PNNL has received about Skelly's job performance has been positive.

"I am concerned by what I see, starting with Congress, is a lack of common goals in the program," said Bob Flournoy, chairman of Oregon's citizens advisory board for emergency preparedness.

"We who live in the vicinity of the depot have to depend on Congress, the Department of Defense and the Army. When we have to switch horses midstream, it produces an unease."

 

Copyright 2002 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.