Feb. 4, 2009
As Secretary Vilsack indicated in a statement today,
based upon information we provided, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) began
conducting an investigation into the alleged actions of employees at the
Department's laboratories in Ames, Iowa, involving the use of veterinary
credentials to purchase human medications so that other employees might be
provided with low-cost prescription drugs.
We appreciate OIG's assistance and their prompt and
thorough response to our request for an investigation. We fully recognize the
seriousness of this situation and are taking immediate action to address the
charges alleged in the investigation.
We have met with the employees identified in the
investigation as participating in or having knowledge of the alleged improper
conduct, and have placed these employees on administrative leave until a
complete review of the evidence provided by OIG is conducted. Since ARS will be
conducting a further review and investigation of the information provided by
OIG, we are limited in the amount of information we can provide at this time,
and we will not be releasing the names of employees due to privacy concerns.
We want to stress that, while we are extremely concerned
with the conduct demonstrated at Ames, there is no evidence any research
results or other laboratory activities were compromised in any way or caused
any animal health risk. ARS is dedicated to protecting American agriculture,
and this investigation and its results will by no means prevent us from our
critical mission of ensuring animal and plant health.
As Secretary Vilsack emphasized, laboratory
accountability is critical, as is the American public, trading partner and
stakeholder trust. In an effort to be fully transparent, a third-party review
of management processes at the ARS laboratory at Ames has been commissioned and
is ready to commence. To the extent permitted by concerns of privacy and
security, the results of that review will be made available to the public once
the review is complete.
Accountability and responsibility will drive ARS' efforts
as we move forward from today to reinforce, with our workforce both at Ames and
throughout the Agency, our duty as civil servants to uphold the public trust
and demonstrate and follow the highest ethical standards. Agency leadership are
onsite in Ames, meeting with employees to discuss the investigation and Agency
policies, and to answer their questions and concerns.
APHIS and ARS laboratories are co-located at Ames and are
well known throughout the agricultural community. APHIS' National Veterinary
Services Laboratories (NVSL) provides diagnosis of domestic and foreign animal
diseases; support of disease control and eradication programs; and reagents for
diagnostic testing, training, and laboratory certification, while APHIS' Center
for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) regulates veterinary biologics to ensure that
the veterinary biologics available for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment
of animal diseases are pure, safe, potent, and effective. ARS' National Animal
Disease Center (NADC) conducts research to solve animal health and food safety
problems faced by livestock producers and the public.
|
Printable Version
E-mail this page
