MIAMI — The director of the National Hurricane Center went on leave Monday, government officials said, four days after many of the center's employees called for his removal because of his comments about an aging weather satellite.
More than 20 of Bill Proenza's nearly 50 staff members signed a statement last week urging federal officials to dismiss him. They said Proenza had undermined public confidence in the center by exaggerating the forecasting problems scientists would face if the satellite failed.
Anson Franklin, a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the hurricane center, would not say whether Proenza was ordered to take leave or voluntarily left the agency.
He said Proenza is still a NOAA employee, but he would not provide details about Proenza's status, citing privacy laws.
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After staff members released their statement Thursday, Proenza insisted his comments were only to ensure that his forecasters had the best tools and adequate support. He did not immediately return a message left on his cell phone by The Associated Press.
Proenza assumed the job in January, replacing longtime Director Max Mayfield. He was vocal about the need to replace the aging QuikScat satellite used by hurricane forecasters. But the center's staff said Proenza's comments undermined confidence in their predictions.
Deputy Director Ed Rappaport was to assume Proenza's duties on an interim basis, center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said.
"The staff is very focused on the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season and everybody's ready to move forward," Feltgen said.
