EPA official allegedly fired over cleanup

CHICAGO, May 2 (UPI) -- A top Bush administration official said she lost her job after intense efforts to make Dow Chemical clean up dioxin contamination in the Saginaw, Mich., area.

Months of work on the matter ended Thursday when Mary Gade was forced out of her position as head of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency's Midwest office, based in Chicago.

Gade told the Chicago Tribune she resigned after two aides to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson took away her powers as regional administrator and told her to quit or be fired by June 1.

Jonathan Shradar, an EPA spokesman in Washington, said Gade has been placed on administrative leave until June 1.