Re: Energy Dept. Nuke Contractors Fined

["Tom Savin" <lexicon@hotbot.com>]

 Whatever the reason for the fine is its a fentaliter compared their bucket of profit.  I do not understand
why DOE gives out millions of dollars in bonuses at the end of the fiscal to their contractors and then  bother to fine them at all.
--

On Fri, 26 May 2000 08:45:12   Spikepsych1 wrote:
>Energy Dept. Nuke Contractors Fined
>
>By MARK JEWELL
>.c The Associated Press
>
>  
>SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - The Energy Department has fined two contractors at 
>nuclear sites in Washington and Colorado a total of $123,750 for failing to 
>adequately protect workers exposed to radioactivity. 
>
>The agency also cited a contractor at the Idaho National Engineering and 
>Environmental Laboratory, but levied no fine. 
>
>Bechtel Hanford, Inc., a contractor at the Hanford reservation in 
>south-central Washington, was fined $82,500 over a June 1999 incident in 
>which three workers were exposed to airborne radioactivity after they 
>unwrapped a ``highly contaminated'' piece of equipment, the DOE said. 
>
>No signs were posted to warn of the hazard, and employees continued to work 
>in the area for about 13 days without protective gear, though none appeared 
>to have suffered any ill health effects, the DOE said. 
>
>A statement released Thursday by Bechtel Hanford said the company ``takes 
>responsibility for this incident ... and agrees with the conclusions from the 
>DOE.'' 
>
>The DOE also ordered a fine of $41,250 against Kaiser-Hill Co., LLC, the main 
>cleanup contractor at the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant outside 
>Denver. 
>
>It involved a February 1999 incident in which an employee performing 
>decontamination work received a dose of radioactivity that entered his body 
>through a cut on his finger, the DOE said. An investigation revealed 
>shortcomings in safety procedures. 
>
>Spokeswoman Greta Thomsen said the company would not contest the fine. ``As a 
>result of our corrective actions, we've greatly improved our work controls 
>and procedures,'' she said. 
>
>Both fines were reduced because the companies took corrective steps, the DOE 
>said. 
>
>International Isotopes Idaho, Inc., a subcontractor at INEEL in southeastern 
>Idaho, was cited but not fined after two workers were exposed to a small 
>amount of radioactivity while they were replacing ventilation filters last 
>July, the DOE said. They were not harmed. Investigators determined the 
>subcontractor failed to adequately plan how to protect the workers. 
>
>AP-NY-05-26-00 0108EDT
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