All Over Albany

Ward Stone responds

State wildlife pathologist Ward Stone responded in multiple outlets today to the allegations in last weekend's TU story. From a long Metroland piece, featuring his response and that of many supporters:

Stone said that it was likely that the article was designed, he said, to cause his reputation damage. Each criticism, he said, seemed aimed to injure him personally, and wouldn't hold up under scrutiny. Yet, Stone didn't comment on the allegations that he lives in his office. And, as one of his supporters points out, "I am angry that he gave them so much ammunition to attack him with."

Chet Hardin reports that many of Stone's supporters think the story was a "hit job" arranged because of Stone's work for an environmental group concerned about pollution from the LaFarge cement plant in Ravena.

James Odato, the TU reporter who wrote the Sunday piece, talked about about how the story came about today on The Capitol Pressroom.* Odato said "it came to his attention that there had been allegations" about Stone. He said there were "an awful lot of people out there" who were ready to confirm the allegations. (the segment starts at the 14:30 mark)

Odato also said there was "no indication at all" that the people who tipped him off are related to the LaFarge situation.

Stone also appeared on the show.

He told Susan Arbetter that he thinks the article was intended to be "a smear." He also said "someone has been following me for some time ... because I do a lot of things that are upsetting to a lot of people with power, like LaFarge." (the segment starts at 24:30)

Stone said he's hired an attorney and plans to "take care of allegations through a court case and make the people who are making these allegations make them answerable for what they do..."

At the end of the interview, Stone said he was "unbowed" and called himself "a heck of a bargain" for the state.

Ward Stone also appeared on a call-in segment on WAMC's Roundtable this morning. He told Joe Donahue that he has a lot of information that he hasn't released because it will be part of his law suit.

He also said money for toxicology research has been "locked up" because he "kept finding things that don't make the world look so good." He alleged that the DEC has been trying push him out and shut down his unit.

Of his career, Stone said: "If anything, I would do it harder, knowing what I know now. I'd be even more confrontational with administrators and probably violate more policy and perhaps little laws. I mean, we all do things at times like speed or not park right. And I think my things are more along those kinds of lines than anything of major consequence."

* Yep, the Capitol Pressroom advertises on AOA.