Nuclear licensing

Bernabei & Kabat, PLLC Reports NRC Penalizes TVA and Two Former Executives for Retaliating Against Nuclear Whistleblowers

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The NRC found that Joseph Shea , then Vice President for Regulatory Affairs (now Vice President for Nuclear Technology Innovation), and Erin Henderson , then Director of Corporate Nuclear Licensing, retaliated against the two whistleblowers.

Key Points: 
  • The NRC found that Joseph Shea , then Vice President for Regulatory Affairs (now Vice President for Nuclear Technology Innovation), and Erin Henderson , then Director of Corporate Nuclear Licensing, retaliated against the two whistleblowers.
  • The NRC found that both whistleblowers engaged in protected activity when they reported and protested unsafe work conditions, including a "chilled work environment" that deterred TVA employees from reporting nuclear safety issues.
  • The NRC also imposed a monetary penalty on TVA of $606,492, because TVA failed to identify the problems or take adequate corrective actions.
  • It has been nearly two decades since the NRC imposed a monetary penalty on TVA for retaliating against whistleblowers.