DOE Opens Enforcement Investigation Into Asbestos Concerns
Mike Nartker
WC Monitor
7/18/2014
Fluor-B&W Portsmouth, LLC, the D&D contractor for the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, recently terminated an employee over a new instance of data falsification. The move marks the second time in slightly over a year where FBP has fired employees for falsifying information on records. The latest incident, which occurred earlier this month, was outlined in a “Problem Detail Report” WC Monitor obtained this week. “A preliminary lab data report transmitted from the X-710 Laboratory to the X-705 Decontamination Facility appears to have been signed and forwarded without having the appropriate analyses completed,” says the report, which lists July 9 as the “date of discovery.”
The incident did not pose safety concerns, FBP Director for Environmental Remediation J.D. Chiou said in July 10 message to employees. “The samples have since been analyzed and confirmed to be well within threshold limits that would have triggered any additional controls,” Chiou said. “Appropriate management was notified and steps have been taken to address the staff member involved. A cross-functional team is reviewing the data and the process to make a full determination of any needed adjustment in steps, additional control or other issues.” FBP provided Chiou’s message when asked for comment this week, and confirmed that the employee involved was fired.
The Department of Energy is looking into the latest incident, according to Brad Mitzelfelt, a spokesman for the DOE Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office. “DOE takes matters involving the integrity of data and information very seriously and is evaluating the incident in question to determine the appropriate action to take,” he said.
Investigations Underway into 2013 Data Falsification Incident
Last spring, FBP fired 14 workers at the Portsmouth D&D project after an investigation found that records associated with radiation detectors had been falsified. The records appeared to have been changed to cover instances where the radiological monitors had been kept in service after failing a source check. FBP said at the time that there had been no evidence that contaminated items may have been improperly released from a radiological area as result of the use of detectors that did not pass source checks. That incident has been the subject of investigations by the DOE Inspector General’s Office and the Department’s Office of Enforcement, the results of which have yet to be made public.
FBP Could Face Fine Over Asbestos Concerns
Meanwhile, in a move that could lead to financial penalties, the DOE Office of Enforcement informed FBP late last week that it is opening an investigation into “potential programmatic deficiencies” of the contractor’s implementation of DOE asbestos requirements. “The Office of Enforcement is responding to a request for investigation from the workforce with concerns regarding proper recognition, handling and disposal of asbestos containing materials and worker exposure monitoring,” wrote Office of Enforcement Director Steven Simonson in a July 11 letter.
According to Mitzelfelt, “Issues regarding asbestos have been observed and identified during walkdowns, observations of work activities and review of FBP problem reports. DOE requested that FBP provide corrective actions in response to its observations and findings, and continues to monitor the situation.” FBP declined to comment on the new DOE investigation.
