Engineer says he was fired for raising safety concerns at Hanford plant

RICHLAND — An engineer who oversaw research and technology at the Hanford nuclear reservation claims he was fired for raising concerns about safety and design at the site's $12.3 billion vitrification plant.

Walter Tamosaitis has asked the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board to investigate, saying in a letter he was removed from the project after bringing 50 concerns about the handling of the plant to Bechtel National officials, the Tri-City Herald reports.

Bechtel National holds the Department of Energy contract for the project, which is planned to treat high-level radioactive waste left from past production of plutonium for the nation's nuclear-weapons program. Tamosaitis served as research and technology manager for the project, and was employed by Bechtel National subcontractor URS.

The retaliation has had an "immediate chilling effect on the project safety quality," leaving other employees questioning whether they should raise issues, Tamosaitis told board chairman Peter Winokur in the letter.

The government safety board was created by Congress to provide independent oversight of the nation's nuclear-weapons complex.

"The board is taking it seriously, and we are looking into it," Winokur said. "He is a credible individual."

Winokur noted the board is investigating the safety concerns but lacks the authority to address Tamosaitis' allegations of retaliation.

The Department of Energy and Bechtel National have begun to prepare for the transition from design and construction to construction and commissioning the plant for operation in 2019.

Bechtel National disagreed with Tamosaitis' allegations that safety issues were being suppressed, saying in a statement: "Our nuclear safety and quality culture encourages all employees to have a questioning attitude. As such, we expect internal staff and external technical experts to identify and raise safety, design and operational issues."

Until his dismissal, Tamosaitis, 63, oversaw a budget of $500 million over seven years. Among the issues he raised were the details of how heavy particles of plutonium are prevented from building up in the bottom of tanks, and the handling of acid used to clean extremely fine waste filters.

Energy Department spokeswoman Carrie Meyer said the federal government stays out of contractor personnel issues, except when they involve a few key managers identified in contracts, which does not include Tamosaitis.