Barrett warns of fine over Freon

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2001 | 10:31 a.m.

A former Clark County facilities chief who resigned under pressure earlier this month claims to have unraveled the mystery of missing Freon and told the County Commission Tuesday to be prepared for a significant fine.

For the second time in less than a month, Bill Barrett made ambiguous statements during the public comment period of a commission meeting.

Barrett made reference to a federal Environmental Protection Agency probe into shoddy record-keeping of refrigerant in the facilities division. If found in violation of EPA laws, the county could be fined up to $25,000 a day for a two-year period.

"They are going to assess a hefty fine," Barrett said, adding that Freon records are indeed missing.

Barrett said someone broke into his office, cracked his computer system and wiped out records related to Freon that had been removed from air conditioners in county buildings.

He said his supervisors were notified of the incident, but they failed to conduct an investigation. Barrett also said county officials were well aware of missing records, but they are making him the scapegoat in the EPA investigation.

"There is a cover-up going on, and we must do something about it," Barrett said. "You need to go to the police."

The EPA launched its investigation after a citizen filed a complaint saying about $200,000 worth of the refrigerant was missing. An internal audit conducted mostly through interviews with employees showed the Freon was accounted for, but the audit also showed poor record-keeping in the facilities division.

Barrett took advantage of the county's voluntary separation program in the midst of the EPA investigation and a state Ethics Commission probe into whether Barrett and his crew members campaigned for county commissioners while on duty and using government equipment.

In their separation agreement with Barrett, county administrators told the facilities chief not to return to any county building unless it is to visit the Human Resources division. Two weeks ago security cameras captured Barrett on tape in the central plant building.

County spokesman Doug Bradford said the county's investigation into why Barrett was on the county campus is not complete. Bradford also said the county is dismissing a barrage of claims and accusations Barrett has recently made.

"Mr. Barrett made numerous misrepresentations of facts," Bradford said, reading from a prepared county statement. "The county will not comment on the misrepresentations of facts. The matter is in the hands of the Ethics Commission."