March 17, 2014

REP. MARKEY WANTS ANSWERS ON WTP SAFETY CULTURE CONCERNS

By ExchangeMonitor

Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the Department of Energy yesterday with a host of questions over the safety culture at the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant project. Markey’s letter comes approximately a week after a second contractor executive on the project, Donna Busche, filed a complaint with the Department of Labor alleging retaliation by WTP subcontractor URS, for which she works, and Bechtel National for raising safety issues. “I am concerned that the Department of Energy has failed to respond to these allegations in a manner that instills public trust in the safety of these facilities or addresses the retaliatory manner in which those who raised safety concerns were treated,” Markey wrote. In a separate press release, the Congressman took an even harsher tone, saying, “DOE seems to be more interested in paying contractor fees than in paying attention to safety concerns or to those who are disciplined for raising them. … The Hanford nuclear site already has a history of leaking radioactive waste into the water. Its environmental legacy must not be further tarnished by catastrophic safety failures causing radioactive releases and a record of shooting the nuclear safety messengers.”

Questions over the safety culture at the WTP were prompted last summer after Walt Tamosaitis, a URS employee who held the position of research and technology manager, alleged he was removed from the project for raising safety concerns. Both Bechtel National and URS have denied the allegations made by Tamosaitis and Busche. In a written response this week, Department spokeswoman Jen Stutsman outlined several measures DOE has already taken to “continue strengthening” the safety culture at the WTP, such as senior-level DOE management visits, the creation of “new avenues for employees to raise technical and safety concerns” and the launch of “numerous” external reviews. “The Department of Energy is strongly committed to safely and successfully completing the cleanup of the legacy of the Cold War at Hanford, and protecting the safety of the public, our workers and the environment,” Stutsman said. “Fostering a questioning, safety-driven attitude among all of our federal and contractor employees is a critical part of achieving our mission and safely delivering this important project. As such, the Department has been clear that it will not tolerate any retaliation for workers raising safety or technical concerns.

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