Custodian reported waste dump in storm sewer
by his employer
Says he got a bad performance review
A whistleblower custodian at Porterville Unified who reported the improper disposal of a cleaning chemical to authorities said he is being retaliated against by his employer. Paul Jaramillo, 66, a custodian for 10 years, said he received “an evaluation that was horrible, horrible” shortly after reporting the incident to Tulare County Environmental Health.
He said he expects to pay a price for being a whistleblower and has gone to his labor union for help. “They’re going to do something to me,” he said. “I don’t know what it is yet.”
Without mentioning Jaramillo by name, a district official said no adverse actions have been taken. “I can assure you there has been no retaliation,” said Ken Gibbs, assistant superintendent for business services. “He has not been demoted or removed.”
On March 17, Jaramillo saw custodians removing wax from a floor at a high school and washing the effluent containing a corrosive chemical into a drain connected to the city’s storm drainage system, he said. Environmental Health notified the Regional Water Quality Control Board and Porterville officials, and advised the city to issue a cease and desist order. It also told the district to dispose of cleaning fluid waste in the sewer system instead of the storm drain and to get a city permit.
City water utility superintendent Mike Knight said it appears none of the effluent actually reached the city’s storm drain system, and the city will ask the district to use the sewer system and to dilute the effluent. Jaramillo, who once owned a metal plating business, said he got the custodian job to improve his retirement income and needs a couple of years more on the job.
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