Idaho nuclear plant worker files whistle-blower lawsuit

IDAHO FALLS — An employee at a nuclear facility in eastern Idaho has filed a whistle-blower lawsuit in federal court, contending her employer retaliated against her for reporting safety violations.

Lea Ann Allen earlier this month sued CWI, which is cleaning up radioactive waste at the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory.

The lawsuit alleges that safety violations Allen reported included shipping contaminated materials, exposing workers to radiation, and using faulty equipment to measure radiation exposure. The lawsuit contends that after Allen reported the problems, she was forced to transfer to a "less desirable position at a different work site."

She is requesting reinstatement to her previous job, economic damages for lost wages and benefits, attorney's fees, and compensation for mental anguish and emotional distress.

CWI, based in Idaho Falls, is a company formed by CH2M Hill and the Washington Division of URS Corp., and is responsible for cleaning up thousands of gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste stored for decades on the Idaho National Laboratory's southern boundary.

A company spokesman did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press.