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Richard Whitman, forced to resign from
Director of Oregon DEQ, IS BACK
Whitman's destructive historical presence in the
Klamath Basin, including links and articles
Whitman was Oregon's key negotiator for the Klamath Basin
Restoration "Agreement"/Klamath dam removal, was Governor John
Kitzhaber's Natural Resources Policy Director for Klamath
"stability," acknowledged downriver has no water right,
stated OWRD will not interfere with sending irrigator's stored
water downriver in Whitman/Yurok agreement, while working
for DEQ praises Klamath Dam destruction (which will put 20
million cubic yards of toxic sediment down Klamath River
exterminating any hint of fish, water quality, deep cold water
reservoirs, economy, or the successful salmon hatchery).
Yurok Tribe has filed an amended motion to curtail and take
control of the Klamath Reclamation Project undermining the
Klamath Adjudication.
Whitman's historical presence in the Klamath
Basin:
Richard Whitman was a key negotiator for the State of Oregon in
the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) which failed to
get U.S. Congressional approval.
Read Mr. Whitman's 2014
testimony to the U.S. Senate here...
In Klamath Water Users Association December 2022 newsletter,
"Mr. Simmons noted that Richard Whitman has been brought back to
work for the state, to focus on Klamath and work through a
contract with the Oregon Water Resources Department."
Read KWUA December 2022
Newsletter here...
Mr. Whitman attended the 21 March 2023 Klamath Basin Workshop
with Federal Agencies in Ashland and the 22 March 2023
discussions with the Department of Interior for the Yurok Water
Rights Assessment team.
Klamath Irrigation District’s 22 February 2023 Newsletter notes:
The Klamath Adjudication issued its initial finding of fact to
water-rights claims on 7 March 2013. The Klamath Adjudication
water-rights identified water rights for the Klamath Tribes,
Klamath Project irrigators, the Federal Agencies, and a number
of others. However, no claims were presented to the Klamath
Adjudication by the Yurok tribe as required under the McCarren
Amendment and argued in the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court.
By 17 June 2013, Richard Whitman, (appointed by Oregon Governor
Kitzhaber) had drafted a dispute resolution with the Yurok Tribe
which acknowledges Oregon
Water Resources Department does not recognize flows downstream
in the Klamath River is required by Reclamation. However,
Whitman signs a document, on behalf of the Oregon Governor, that
states OWRD
will not interfere with releases of water to the Klamath River
by Reclamation unless directed otherwise by order of a court
with proper jurisdiction.
Since learning of this action by Richard Whitman, Klamath
Irrigation District has attempted to get a court to issue OWRD
an order to this effect. OWRD
resisted all efforts by K.I.D. to insist OWRD perform its legal
duties. The District was successful in 2021 in having the Oregon
court direct OWRD to perform its lawful duty in accordance with
Oregon law. The District was hopeful this would break the
Whitman / Yurok agreement. In 2021, OWRD issued a letter to
Reclamation that it had released stored water from Upper Klamath
Lake without a water-right to do so. However, the Oregon Supreme
Court overturned this decision based upon an administrative
action which claims the trial judge precluded Reclamation from
being a party to the case..
https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/587976930/klamath-dam-removal-project-moves-forward
Klamath dam removal project
moves forward, Comments by Richard Whitman,
Director Oregon DEQ
NEWS PROVIDED BY
August 26, 2022
Statewide,
OR—Earlier today, the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission released a
Final Environmental Impact Statement
(FEIS) that recommends
approval to remove four dams on the
Kla… The
recommendation by FERC staff is
another key milestone in progress
toward restoring the Klamath to its
former free-flowing condition, work
that has been undertaken
collectively by PacifiCorp, which
owns the dams, Oregon, California
and the Klamath River Renewal
Corporation. FERC is likely to make
a final decision later this fall.
Statement by Richard Whitman,
Director of the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality:
“This is an encouraging step
forward. DEQ appreciates the
thorough and comprehensive review by
FERC staff. Along with significant
federal funding for agricultural
infrastructure and habitat
improvement provided by the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and
the recent Inflation Reduction Act,
these actions set the stage for
addressing many of the underlying
causes of conflict over water, water
quality, and fisheries in the
Klamath. We look forward to working
with all of our partners to help put
resource management back on a
sustainable footing.”
Media contact:
Harry Esteve, DEQ Communications
Manager, 503-951-3856, harry.esteve@deq.oregon.gov
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Former Oregon DEQ director
Richard Whitman forced out over relationship
with employee
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/03/29/oregon-department-of-environmental-quality-deq-workplace-relationship-whitman/
The Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality’s former director was forced to
resign after agency leaders learned he had a
relationship with a direct report.
DEQ’s former director Richard Whitman
announced last summer he would retire from
the agency at the end of 2022. But in
September, Whitman abruptly resigned
three months ahead of schedule citing
“personal reasons” and that he was leaving
the agency in a position of strength.
The Oregonian/OregonLive
first reported Whitman’s
relationship with an employee he directly
supervised led to his resignation. After
learning of the relationship, department
leaders consulted with attorneys from the
Oregon Department of Justice out of concern
Whitman may have violated state
ethics laws. DEQ then forced
Whitman to resign.
DEQ’s spokesperson Harry Esteve said when
agency leaders learned about Whitman’s
relationship, then-Deputy Director Leah
Feldon alerted the chair of the
Environmental Quality Commission Kathleen
George, which is responsible for hiring and
firing the director.
“After discussions between Mr. Whitman and
EQC Chair George, Mr. Whitman submitted his
resignation,” Esteve said in an emailed
statement to OPB. “This happened over the
span of about two weeks as Chair George and
Deputy Feldon worked with the governor’s
office and Oregon Department of Justice to
ensure DEQ was taking appropriate action.”
Feldon has since gone on to become
DEQ’s new director.
Esteve said DEQ leadership told Whitman he
may have violated state ethics standards
that require self-reporting. But according
to The Oregonian/Oregon Live, DEQ has no
rules prohibiting consensual relationships
between supervisors and their direct
reports.
“The circumstances of Mr. Whitman’s leaving
DEQ are a troubling departure from the way
DEQ works,” Esteve said. “It does not
reflect the high standards we set for
ourselves in our mission to protect and
enhance Oregon’s environment and public
health.”
DEQ did not disclose when the relationship
occurred, for how long or who it was with.
OPB has reached out to Whitman for comment.
Esteve said all DEQ employees are
required to take regular training on how
to maintain a professional workplace and
what constitutes a hostile work
environment. Esteve did not state
whether DEQ will be changing the
agency’s rules prohibiting consensual
relationships between managers and their
direct reports.
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