The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) defended the operation of its septic permit office in Bradley County, including the work of manager Hank Thompson.
The Bradley County Commission is studying whether to take over the operation of the office, saying there have been a number of complaints against Mr. Thompson and that he recently kicked Commissioner Mark Hall out of his office.
TDEC officials said, "TDEC issues well-written permits in a timely fashion and in accordance with regulations. Our employee, Hank Thompson, has an excellent track record of customer service, and our department will continue to provide that same level of service to the citizens of Bradley County in his absence.
"Micah Gravitt will be the primary point of contact for septic permits while Hank is temporarily out of the office. Micah can be reached at (423) 634-2547.
"TDEC employee Hank Thompson planned to take medical leave, not a two-month vacation as implied by individuals on the county commission.
"A commissioner stated that she had to spend $14,000 unnecessarily on a sewer issue due to the state. This is incorrect. The incurred expense was not because of the state, rather, the result of an installer not following a permit we issued for a house she was building.
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We are always open to hearing the concerns of the commission, but we hope they choose to express their concerns more professionally in the future as opposed to launching personal attacks against one of our employees in a public forum."