WHISTLEBLOWER
PAUL JAYKO
Submitted By:- Priyanka Chudasama
Roll No. 36
WHISTLEBLOWER - PAUL JAYKO 1
Introduction
Paul Jayko was an Environmental Specialist for the Ohio
Environmental Protection Agency.Paul’s credentials at the time of
his hire included Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Business
Administration degrees from Bowling Green State University in
1979 and 1986, respectively.As a site coordinator, Paul had various
duties, depending on speci c assignments, such as: initiating
investigations; reviewing and giving comments on other
investigations that had been done; requesting or reviewing “scopes
of work;” reviewing and approving plans that had been prepared by
other entities such as contractors; meeting with public of cials or
citizen groups to discuss what had been done to direct the progress
of investigations; making recommendations on feasability studies
such as the preferred remediation alternatives that would be
employed at sites; overseeing the work that had been done
physically on the ground, and actual eld sampling.
Initially, Mr. Jayko’s duties as site coordinator also routinely
included communicating with members of the public and the media
about projects that were under investigation and assigned to him.
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Case Study
• On or about June 26, 1997, Paul Jayko began receiving citizen
calls from people who lived in Marion2 stating they had an
increase in leukemia in that area that was far above what should
have been there.
• The citizen leukemia calls resulted in a memo dated August 1,
1997, from Paul Jayko to Ed Hammett, District Chief, NWDO,
entitled Cancer Cases, River Valley School District, Marion,
Ohio, recommending “in the strongest possible way” that an
“immediate” LOE investigation of the RVS grounds and property
be commenced through an LOE contractor, considering that the
RVS buildings were built on the ground of a former military
installation; that it was highly probable that disposal of
carcinogenic solvents, along with the burning and burying of
unknown materials took place on soils that were either
immediately adjacent to the school or then a part of the school
athletic elds; that the RVS would resume their academic
calendar on August 26, 1997, thereby placing 1,000 plus
individuals into a situation of unknown risk,4 and that the only
way of assuring that the students, faculty, and staff at the RVS
are not returning to an area of eminent risk is to conduct
environmental sampling of soils, air, surface and ground waters,
there.
• Paul jayko,discovered that public schools in Marion, Ohio were
being built on a former Army toxic waste dump site.He stated
that he had con rmation that the River Valley Local Schools had
been built on a portion of the former Marion Engineer Depot;
that the MED continued to operate until the property was
acquired by the Board of Education through a quit-claim deed;
that there were “known and suspected carcinogenic materials
used in it’s day-to-day operations; that it was highly probable that
many of these materials were disposed of by releasing them to the
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ground, now occupied by the River Valley Schools and adjacent
properties; and that it was suspected that military training, which
utilized radioactive materials, occurred on or around the school
property; that not all of the materials that had been toxic,
radioactive or hazardous materials were removed from the former
sites; that they remained there until as late as 1989, and that while
once discovered, and removed, it is uncertain whether there are
any other sources of toxic or hazardous materials remaining at
the site.Paul Jayko conducted an additional investigation at a
portion of the MED, now known as the Marion Industrial Depot,
which included a physical inspection within and around the area,
and found numerous business tanks used for agriculture,
fertilizer, paper, charcoal, personal consumption products, and
lighting purposes.
• December 2000,Memorandum of Understanding and a
Cooperative Agreement is signed by the Department of Army,
the State of Ohio and the River Valley Local School District to
share the cost of relocating the camp.
• December 2001,The Ohio Department of Health cannot pinpoint
one particular factor that was associated with the development of
leukemia among graduates and concludes that there is no need
for further study.Expanded Site Inspection Report identi es
SVOCS and TAL metals above screening levels on the main
campus grounds.
• September 2003,Students are relocated to the new middle school
and high school.
• March 5, 2005 -Twenty-seven thousand tons of contaminated
soils with cancer-causing agents are removed from ball elds and
athletic practice elds at an approximate cost of $8 million.
• September 2008,Cleanup of the U.S. Army Reserve training
center property is completed at an approximate cost of $2 million.
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Conclusion
• Paul Jayko concluded there was a “strong potential for human
health risk” and recommended that the Ohio EPA immediately
conduct further environmental tests.
• After making this recommendation, Jayko found that his
responsibilities were gradually removed, culminating in a notice
from the personnel department informing him of a possible
suspension or termination.
• To ght against this retaliation, Jayko enlisted the support of
whistleblower attorneys as well as communications and advocacy
support from NWC. Ultimately, Jayko obtained a favorable
settlement that included full compensation and his reassignment
as an on-site coordinator.
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