by Lannie Walker

Guam - Although it may have seemed at first that Lorilee Crisostomo planned to fight the feds and local leaders questioning her management abilities at the Guam Environmental Protection Agency - in the end she decided to call it quits.

Lorilee Crisostomo may be out the door physically, but in writing she's still administrator. Guam EPA Spokesperson Gerry Cruz told KUAM News, "It's a shock to everybody right now, we just have to deal with that decision she made she is going to go on administrative leave then effective in thirty days she will be resigned."

No official reason was provided as to why she decided to quit, but her resignation comes on the heels of intense criticism - from the USEPA, which even up until recently stuck with its assessment that Crisostomo has been mismanaging federal monies. Just this week Senator Tom Ada filed suit against Crisostomo after failing to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request to provide documentation related to an energy disaster preparedness plan funded by federal grants.

Although Crisostomo's gone, Senator Ada says the lawsuit will continue. "The lawsuit was against the administrator was Mrs. Crisostomo, but there is still administrator there in and acting capacity, so I'm going to continue to pursue the lawsuit," he confirmed.

Her biggest critic however has been Senator Rory Respicio, who wrote both Lieutenant Governor Mike Cruz and Governor Felix Camacho to get her out of the agency. Respicio criticized Crisostomo, saying she blames everyone for the agency's misgivings on everyone else but herself. "I don't know the details surrounding here resignation, whether the governor finally realized 'Look, everybody else can't be wrong', and to ask her to step down or she just came to that decision herself. But what is important is that she is no longer going to be there and this presents an opportunity to the Guam EPA staff to rebuild and reconnect with the USEPA."

Deputy GEPA administrator Bradley Dunagan steps up to the plate as acting head of the agency until the board finds a permanent replacement.