As I wrote last week, the top DEP wetlands mitigation expert was suspended from her job two days after refusing to assent to a very questionable permit. According to the Department, that is not why she was suspended. Oh no, it was because of an “internal investigation” of other matters. Yesterday, the FDEP Inspector General reported that “There was no documentation or testimony to substantiate any violations by Bersok.” (If only the same could be said of mitigation bank permit applicants.)
Bruce Ritchie’s story includes a link to the Inspector General report and to Connie Bersok’s permit memo. No doubt, there is more of this story to come.
What an embarrassing mess for DEP.
There’s a lot of “embarrassing mess” floating around in Florida these days!
There seems to be very limited environmental integrity in FL’s government these days and what little there is leaves little reward. In fact, those who show any are severely punished, just look at what has happened at all the WMD’s!
Thanks for covering this issue. I think politicians have posted political operatives deeper and deeper into civil service departments – short term politics is trumping integrity and loyalty to anything bigger than themselves.
A good follow up story in the Orlando Sentinel: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-06-09/business/os-lucrative-land-deal-controversy-20120609_1_connie-bersok-wetlands-mitigation-credits?pagewanted=all