Werner Fired
Last night we heard from a source that DNREC Director of the Division of Air and Waste Management Jim Werner was being replaced by Marge Crofts. Now we have learned that Werner was fired.
DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara in an email statement sent to his department:
I have great respect for Jim’s many contributions to the department; however, I have determined that a change is necessary.
This move is likely to be seen as a sign that O’Mara intends DNREC to be more responsive to community concerns. And I suspect, a little less embarassment for the department.
Why was he fired?
Is this the new guy they brought in from California?
No. O’Mara is the new guy from California. Werner has been at DNREC since 2000. This is a sign that O’Mara is cleaning house. The picture on this story is that of O’Mara.
That’s why I’m all confused!
(My personal comment and not that of any group or organization I’m affiliated with.)
I have no specific information as to why Mr. Werner was dismissed, but I imagine there would be a long list of dissatisfied Delaware citizen (and maybe legislators), me for one.
Many, many, many of us believe Jim was the community’s biggest obstacle in the protection of individual citizen’s and homeowners in the evaluation of responsible remediation of the Hercules golf course property that Toll Brothers Builders wish to build residential housing.
Five years ago, the builder had a report by their own environmental engineering firm that presented five possible remediation clean-up plans that could have been applied to the property in question. For the most part, the surrounding communities would have been satisfied with the most extensive clean-up proposal with the possible addition of dust control and parameter air monitoring. In a non-legally binding review, he argued that that was not necessary and the communities’ expectations could be considered somewhat unreasonable.
Some of us have an expectation that he will be looking first to the private sector for his next job. I wish him the best of luck and suggest that he start outside of Delaware.
Mr Dunn, you say
“I have no specific information as to why Mr. Werner was dismissed,” I really feel that this should be public knowledge.
Was to accommodate Delaware’s well known “Buddy system” or was he derelict in his duties.
I had only a very breif encounter with Mr. Werner but my impression of him was very favorable.
Your advice to him to seek employment outside Delaware speaks volumes. What gives?
He was at least in part fired for his insanely absurd remarks about a safe and extremely regulated industry, Dry Cleaning. Good Riddance.