West Anniston Foundation fires new technical adviser

By Jessica Centers
Star Staff Writer
10-28-2004

Fewer than 10 days after he had obtained a local phone number and introduced himself at a cleanup meeting, Larry King, the community’s technical adviser on PCBs cleanup, was fired Wednesday. West Anniston Foundation Executive Director Charity Richey-Bentley said King was dismissed because he was not meeting required deadlines. “We talked to him and there’s been no improvement,” Richey-Bentley said. “Larry wasn’t willing to do what was asked of him.” King was hired in September as a result of a consent decree, a court-approved PCBs cleanup agreement between Solutia, Pharmacia and the Environmental Protection Agency. Solutia was to provide a grant to a community group, which then would hire an independent technical adviser. The adviser’s role is to explain the technical aspects of the cleanup to the Community Advisory Group to the Consent Decree, and to educate the community about the cleanup. The West Anniston Foundation was awarded the grant in May, and hired King Sept. 1. King said Wednesday that he was not prepared to comment on the reason he believes he was let go. “The abruptness and the lack of courtesy that was afforded me in this process was not respectful at all,” said King, who was on his way from Anniston to his home in Atlanta Wednesday afternoon. King said David Baker of Community Against Pollution (CAP) was in the room with him, Craig Branchfield of Solutia, and Richey-Bentley, when he was fired. Baker said he had stopped by the EPA project office for a different reason. King asked him to come into the meeting, saying “They’re trying to get rid of me,” Baker said. Baker said King was being pressured to sign a new contract. King asked if there was a problem with his work, and nothing specific was discussed, Baker said. Baker said he intends to ask for an emergency Community Advisory Group meeting next week. He said he would ask that cleanup be stopped, because he believes the dismissal is the result of an attempt by Solutia and Monsanto to control the technical adviser. Baker’s group, CAP, also had applied for the Technical Assistance Plan Grant. CAP officials have said the West Anniston Foundation should not have received the grant because it is not a grassroots organization. Missy Hammonds, community outreach coordinator for Solutia, said King was a contractor for the West Anniston Foundation and it was solely the West Anniston Foundation’s decision to fire him. Hammonds said she agreed with the decision. “Our main concern is someone is in the position who is moving forward to work for the community, to help educate the community,” she said. “He was not fulfilling the role.” Hammonds said Solutia wants an impartial adviser just as much as the community does. “We don’t want someone that the community feels is bought by us,” she said. The foundation now must begin looking for another technical adviser. Richey-Bentley said it shouldn’t take as long this time to hire someone because she can re-review the applications she’s already received.

About Jessica Centers

Jessica Centers, a University of Missouri graduate, covers business for The Anniston Star.