»Æ¹Ï´«Ã½

The departure of one employee at Louisiana's environmental regulator and the transfer of another to a separate state agency has drawn renewed scrutiny of the department's leader, Aurelia Giacometto, who is facing more harsh criticism

Giacometto has dismissed the criticisms as a mischaracterization of her attempts to bring "meaningful, transformative change" to the Department of Environmental Quality. Gov. Jeff Landry has backed her in those efforts and defended her leadership.

But even before the latest changes, a list of top officials had left the agency, including those appointed after Giacometto took over as DEQ secretary. While many have not commented publicly, one former senior employee hired since Giacometto took charge sent a scathing resignation letter in March,  and the "harassment of longtime employees."

In the latest moves, one of the employees in an exit survey filled out upon the worker's resignation last month described Giacometto's management as "cruel, vindictive and evil."

The other, the DEQ's assistant secretary of environmental assessment, was stripped of his primary powers and moved temporarily to the state Department of Transportation and Development, drawing a related official complaint. The official who was transferred, Tim Rupert, confirmed his move but declined further comment.

Giacometto's management practices have become the subject of a review and employee survey by the Legislative Auditor's Office that is still pending. 

The employee who resigned was a mid-level worker at DEQ and frequently appeared with Giacometto at public meetings in the second half of 2024 before leaving the agency in mid-December.

In an interview last month, the worker told The Advocate the resignation was due to a new job with higher pay closer to home that would avoid a lengthy commute to Baton Rouge. Asked about the worker's departure last month, DEQ communication officials shared similar information while wishing the employee well.

But in a separation survey filed with DEQ, obtained through a public records request, the employee added more context. Though the departing official had left for a better paying, closer job, as said previously, the ex-employee also told DEQ about disliking work under Giacometto.

Asked in the survey why the agency official was leaving, the worker wrote that Giacometto would publicly shame employees and punish them for asking questions.

As to what the official least liked about the DEQ job, the ex-employee added that it was "having to work under the secretary and see her destroy an agency and bring shame to our governor and the new administration." The official spoke highly of "the amazing skills" of other DEQ colleagues, saying a return to the agency would only be considered if Giacometto were gone.

"Find a new secretary!" the departing official wrote. 

The worker, who thought the exit survey was confidential, requested anonymity when contacted on Wednesday by the newspaper.

In response to the comments and provided documents, Giacometto said in a statement that the exit interview of one employee may not "reflect the broader experiences of our LDEQ team."

"I recognize their comments, and I remain deeply committed to fostering a workplace grounded in transparency, accountability, and excellence," she added. "Together, we are building an agency that will lead Louisiana toward a future of environmental stewardship, and sustainable growth. I believe that LDEQ works hard every day toward a cleaner environment and healthy economy. We can have and do both."

Giacometto added that she values her role leading DEQ and the challenge of fostering innovation at the "greatest agency, where we care about the environment and the people of Louisiana." 

"Transformative change is never easy, but the challenges we face as a state demand bold action and steadfast commitment. I was not appointed to take the easy road, and I am inspired daily by the dedication of LDEQ’s hardworking employees who serve Louisiana with loyalty and determination," she said.

Complaint being reviewed

As for Rupert, he has been shifted to a temporary post within DOTD, according to state officials and records. He will shepherd major transportation projects in his new role, but the shift last month has been the subject of a formal payroll fraud complaint.

The complaint was filed Monday under an apparent pseudonym with the state Office of Inspector General and Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office. It alleges Rupert, who remains a DEQ employee, was moved to a do-nothing job inside DOTD's offices after months of poor treatment by Giacometto.

The heads of the Inspector General's and Legislative Auditor's offices confirmed receipt of the complaint that was also sent to reporters at The Advocate and Times-Picayune. The officials said that they would review its allegations, as with any other complaint, and offered no further comment. 

In a written response, Giacometto called the claims in the complaint "baseless and misleading" and said they mischaracterized attempts to make her agency more efficient and collaborative with other departments, as Landry has outlined.

"The recent anonymous allegations of payroll fraud against LDEQ are completely unfounded and reflect a troubling attempt to distract from the significant progress this agency is making to improve efficiency and deliver results for the people of our state," she said.

A Louisiana native and former Texas environmental official with expertise in toxicology and remediation, Rupert was eight months into his job at DEQ when he was moved to DOTD. He is filling in temporarily after DOTD's longtime environmental compliance official recently retired, state highway and environmental officials said. 

Giacometto added that, with the agreement of DOTD, Rupert remains on DEQ's payroll and that his work is an example of "the kind of interagency collaboration that enhances state government operations."

"Mr. Rupert’s expertise is currently supporting the critical I-49 widening project, a joint initiative requiring environmental oversight, which is just one example," she said in the statement.

For more than two decades, the I-49 extension and widening through Lafayette has faced environmental questions. Its proposed route would pass over two contamination sites near a former railroad yard around that city's downtown, raising concerns that pile-driving and other underground disruptions would pierce confining layers of clay and allow contamination to reach a key drinking water source for the city, the Chicot Aquifer.

DOTD officials said they hope Rupert's environmental expertise can move along projects.

"DOTD and DEQ are working collaboratively on these environmental issues, and Tim brings a wealth of environmental knowledge and DEQ-agency knowledge to the team," said Rodney Mallett, DOTD spokesman.

Authority to remove him?

Rupert's Office of Environmental Assessment inside DEQ has a broad portfolio, including overseeing the state's network of air monitors, developing plans for long-term air pollution reduction, regulating underground storage tanks and many other tasks, such as helping create advisories to mitigate the risk of mercury contamination from fish. 

, he serves at the pleasure of the governor after appointment by the Senate.

The new complaint alleges "Giacometto lacked authority to remove Rupert," continued to harass him and ultimately moved him to DOTD after signing a document last month revoking the environmental assessment authorities that she had delegated to him in May.

Though the complaint's allegations of harassment couldn't be immediately confirmed, other aspects of the letter's claims were verified, including that Rupert was shifted to DOTD but remained on DEQ payroll.

A also shows that Giacometto and other DEQ officials signed and filed a document revoking Rupert's authorities on Dec. 17, as the complaint described.

The revocation deprives Rupert of a number of basic powers for the DEQ assistant secretary, including the ability to sign agreements, orders or documents related to hazardous waste site cleanup; authority over water quality, groundwater remediation and mercury reduction efforts; and power to hold meetings and issue subpoenas for fact-finding inquiries. 

Giacometto did not say how long Rupert would remain on his temporary assignment inside DOTD. A key environmental report on the I-49 project is pending, with public comment expected in the spring, DOTD officials have said.

For the time being, DEQ has shifted Rupert's "responsibilities to others," Giacometto said, "and I have assumed some responsibilities myself as we determine whether it is in the agency’s best interest to assign someone to fill in for him while he is on assignment."  

With the workplace audit pending and questions swirling around the secretary, criticism of Giacometto has bubbled up in public meetings. 

In questioning DEQ administrators last month about the source of cost estimates for installing fence-line air monitors outside major industries, state Rep. Alonzo Knox, D-New Orleans, told Giacometto that the DEQ officials testifying before a special task force committee she chairs about the issue appeared to be intimidated by her.

At the time, Knox, who also sits on the special legislative task force on air monitoring, was charging that DEQ was inflating the costs to kill the idea of fence-line monitors.

"And everything that you are presenting today is going in that direction, and my concern is that everybody at the table today works for DEQ," he said during the Dec. 10 meeting.

"And I don't know why we don't have a diversity of experts come and testify because they all seem like they're intimidated to respond to my questions without looking to you," Knox added, as he gestured toward Giacometto.