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U.S. Office of Special Counsel
1730 M Street, N.W., Suite 218
Washington, D.C. 20036-4505
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U.S. OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL TRANSMITS REPORT SUBSTANTIATING
WHISTLEBLOWER’S ALLEGATION OF
DEFECTIVE PIPE WELDS ON USS KITTY HAWK
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 5/9/05
CONTACT: CATHY DEEDS, 202-254-3600,
CDEEDS@OSC.GOV
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Office of
Special Counsel (OSC) today transmitted to President Bush and the Congress
an investigative report substantiating a whistleblower’s allegations that
unqualified welders at the Department of the Navy, Naval Air Depot (NADEP),
North Island (NI), California, had improperly welded catapult hydraulic
piping systems on the Navy aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk.
The aircraft carrier’s catapults are used to launch
aircraft from the deck of the ship. While the Navy found that it was
unlikely that the defective welds in the catapults would suffer a
catastrophic failure during operations, it did not rule out the possibility
of such a failure. Catastrophic failure of the welds could result in loss of
aircraft and possible injury or loss of life.
The defective welds discovered on the USS Kitty Hawk
were similar to those found on five other aircraft carriers during a prior
investigation conducted in February 2003, in response to similar allegations
disclosed by the same whistleblower, Kristin Shott, to OSC. At that time,
Navy investigators found defective welds on the catapult hydraulic piping
systems of the USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Constellation, USS Nimitz, and the
USS John C. Stennis, and on the jet blast deflector cylinder vent piping on
the USS Carl Vinson.
In addition to the allegations regarding the USS Kitty
Hawk, Ms. Shott, a welder, also provided information to OSC alleging that
NADEP NI artisans from a variety of trades perform work in an unqualified
capacity. OSC concluded that there was a substantial likelihood that the
information Ms. Shott had provided disclosed a substantial and specific
danger to public safety, as well as violations of law, rule or regulation.
By law, where OSC makes such a determination with respect to a
whistleblower’s disclosures, the agency involved, in this case the
Department of the Navy, is required to conduct an investigation of the
disclosures and report its findings and any planned corrective and/or
disciplinary actions to the Special Counsel.
OSC transmitted Ms. Shott’s disclosures to the
Secretary of the Navy, and the Office of the Naval Inspector General
conducted an investigation. According to the report, Ms. Shott’s allegations
regarding unqualified artisans were partially substantiated. The
investigation revealed that one employee, an Integrated Electronics Systems
Mechanic, had continued to solder after his soldering certification had
expired. The investigators also found that the mechanic’s supervisor was
aware that he was soldering with a lapsed certification. However, the
investigators did not find evidence that any other artisans were performing
work without the proper qualifications. The report also notes that
investigators found significant deficiencies in the electronic system that
NADEP NI uses for tracking employees’ certification status.
The Department of the Navy report provides information
about corrective and disciplinary actions planned or taken by the agency in
response to the investigative findings. First, the report states that the
Navy completed repairs to the USS Kitty Hawk’s catapults during the week of
November 22, 2004. The report further states that NADEP NI management has
taken disciplinary action against the mechanic and plans to pursue
disciplinary action against his supervisor in the near future. The agency
also described several actions NADEP NI plans to take to improve its
training and recertification program.
In transmitting the agency report to the President and
the Congress, the Special Counsel is required by statute to evaluate whether
it contains the necessary information and whether its findings appear
reasonable. Special Counsel Scott Bloch found that the Department of the
Navy report met these requirements.
He stated, “Our brave service members depend on the
integrity and safety of their equipment in ongoing operations around the
world. Ms. Shott’s decision to blow the whistle averted a potential
catastrophic loss of life and equipment.”
Among its other functions, the OSC provides federal
employees with a secure channel for blowing the whistle on violations of
law, rule or regulation, gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, an abuse
of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health and
safety. OSC requires agencies to conduct investigations whenever it finds a
substantial likelihood that a federal employee’s disclosures demonstrate the
existence of one of these conditions. The agency must then report its
findings as well as any corrective action taken to OSC. After OSC reviews
the report to ensure that it contains the necessary information and that its
findings appear reasonable, OSC transmits the report to the President and
the Congress for further action, if appropriate.
Contact OSC for a copy of the
Department of the Navy report.
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent
investigative and prosecutorial agency and operates as a secure channel for
disclosures of whistleblower complaints. Its primary mission is to safeguard
the merit system in federal employment by protecting federal employees and
applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially retaliation for
whistleblowing. OSC also has jurisdiction over the Hatch Act and the
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. For more
information please visit our web site at www.osc.gov or call 1-800-872-9855.
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