RICHLAND, Wash. – After more than a year of waiting, a high-profile Hanford whistleblower will argue in court Monday that his case should be heard in front of a jury. But federal contractor Bechtel argues the case should be thrown out.
Walt Tamosiatis was taken out of his high-level Hanford management position when he raised safety concerns with a 12-billion-dollar waste treatment plant. It’s being built on the nuclear site in southeast Washington. He now reports to a basement office, and says he’s given “no meaningful work.”
Tamosiatis will argue that the Hanford contractor building the plant – Bechtel National – interfered in his ability to keep his job. Bechtel is likely to argue that there aren’t enough valid facts in the case to warrant a jury trial. Jack Sheridan represents Tamosaitis.
“We are confident that our presentation will show that Bechtel managers interfered with Dr. Tamosiatis’ employment at the waste treatment plant and got him kicked off,” Sheridan said.
Sheridan also represents another Hanford waste treatment plant manager named Donna Busche. She’s filed a complaint that she was discriminated against for raising safety issues about the plant.
Copyright 2012 Northwest Public Radio
