'In violation of your duty'
Excerpts from Governor Mitt Romney's July 17 letter to Matthew J. Amorello, chairman of the Turnpike Authority.
A. You have substantially mismanaged the big dig project, which has led to the loss of public confidence in the project's safety.
After each of the earlier accident/ incidents/structural failures in the Big Dig tunnels (including ceiling leaks, falling ice chunks, and slurry wall failure), you repeatedly have assured the public that a thorough and independent safety review had been conducted and that the tunnels again were safe for public use. . . .
Most recently, the day after a concrete slab fell into the Interstate 90 Connector Tunnel and killed a woman, you made public statements that this occurrence was an "anomaly" and a "singular event" and that the tunnel would be open by noon the next day.
These statements were made without proper investigation or factual support. Further investigation revealed that the bolt connector problem was systematic, and the tunnel will likely remain closed for a substantial period of time.
In violation of your duty to protect the public's safety and in breach of the covenants contained in the MTA bonds, you failed to ensure that the bolt fixtures supporting the concrete ceiling slabs were timely and properly inspected in accordance with the applicable safety inspection protocol. . . .
C. Your efforts to operate the MTA in a highly secretive manner have prevented efficient management, thwarted safety inspections, and further eroded public confidence.
You have operated the MTA and the Big Dig project in a highly secretive manner, in part by failing to disclose relevant information to board members, safety inspectors and consultants (including Jack Lemley and George Tamaro), cost recovery personnel (including retired Judge Edward Ginsburg), the Executive Branch, and the public . . .
D. Your mismanagement and your failure to provide assistance and information has hampered the MTA's cost recovery effort.
You failed to develop an effective cost recovery strategy or team. . . .
Many documents required for the cost recovery effort appear to have been removed or missing from MTA files.
