Hanford whistleblower wins; Tamosaitis to receive $4.1 million settlement"
"...Hanford subcontractor URS has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by former employee Walter Tamosaitis for $4.1 million..."
"...He also insisted that the settlement agreement include no confidentiality statement keeping the settlement terms secret, so that others would see that “integrity, honesty and forthrightness will lead to justice.”
"...The $4.1 million settlement with URS includes almost $1.4 million for lost wages and $1.1 million for emotional distress and mental anguish..."
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2015/08/12/3691323_hanford-whistleblower-to-receive.html?rh=1
"...Hanford subcontractor URS has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by former employee Walter Tamosaitis for $4.1 million..."
"...He also insisted that the settlement agreement include no confidentiality statement keeping the settlement terms secret, so that others would see that “integrity, honesty and forthrightness will lead to justice.”
"...The $4.1 million settlement with URS includes almost $1.4 million for lost wages and $1.1 million for emotional distress and mental anguish..."
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2015/08/12/3691323_hanford-whistleblower-to-receive.html?rh=1
Comments
"...In the summer of 2010, Dr. Tamosaitis, a URS employee, was a lead engineer working at the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant (“WTP”). The purpose of the WTP is to turn the toxic and radioactive sludge stored in the more than 100 tanks at Hanford, into glass rods, which can be safely stored. Dr. Tamosaitis and his research team were charged with trying to figure out how to keep the sludge mixed so it could be pumped into the WTP processors, which were under construction. Bechtel and URS were to receive and split a $6 million bonus if the mixing issue was resolved by the end of July 2010. As the deadline approached, Dr. Tamosaitis opposed Bechtel’s claims that mixing issues regarding the sludge had been resolved. Within a few days after voicing his opposition, he was removed from his management position at Hanford, escorted off the property, and assigned to a basement office at URS performing no meaningful work for fifteen months. He was only transferred to an aboveground office after testifying before Congress, but still he was given no meaningful work. In 2013, he was laid off for “lack of work.”..."
http://sheridanlawfirm.com/whistleblower-dr-walter-tamosaitis-settles-case-against-hanford-contractor-urs-for-4-1-million/
They should claw back the 6m bonus and assess a penalty on top. 2x? 3x?
Something at a level that deters this type of behavior.
I'm happy for the guy, but we need to fix the systemic issues, not just pay off guys who persevere through the legal system.
Yes, the $ reward to $ risk ratio does not discourage poor conduct by DOE Contractors. It is comparable to billion dollar banking fraud where the penalties or fines levied against the responsible parties are only a fraction of the money illegally acquired.
No one in Congress cares anything about this type of meaningless fluff.
Video Part 1: Capitol Hill/C-SPAN/ Whistleblowers at Hanford Nuclear Site
http://www.c-span.org/video/?318226-1/hanford-nuclear-site-safety-roundtable-hearing
Video Part 2:
http://www.c-span.org/video/?318226-2/hanford-nuclear-site-safety-hearing
"Nuclear cleanup project haunted by legacy of design failures and whistleblower retaliation"
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/09/01/17922/nuclear-cleanup-project-haunted-legacy-design-failures-and-whistleblower