The Case of the Missing Homeland Security Director

April 18, 2002
Dr. Jack Longmire may be tapped for OSHA post, according to the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

OSHA has sent conflicting signals about who, if anyone, is in charge of its Homeland Security program.

Aaron Trippler, director of government affairs for the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), said it could be Dr. Jack Longmire, an OSHA occupational physician based in Washington.

According to Trippler, "Longmire called our office and said, ''I''m the new Homeland Security director for OSHA, and John [Henshaw] told me to get in touch with the professional associations.''"

Trippler said, among other things, that Longmire wanted the names of people who would be speaking on bioterrorism at AIHA''s June conference in San Diego. As of mid-April, however, an OSHA spokesperson had no comment on the Trippler report and said no formal announcement about the new position had been made. Longmire also declined to comment on the matter.

The apparent mix-up deepened the skepticism about the agency''s commitment to homeland security for Peg Seminario, safety and health director for the AFL-CIO. "To quote Gertrude Stein about Oakland, ''There''s no ''there'' there on homeland security,''" Seminario said. "They have no budget and apparently no director either."

by James Nash ([email protected])

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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