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On December 27, 2016, the Department of Energy published in the Federal Register a final rule to clarify that the Department may assess civil penalties against certain contractors and subcontractors for violations of the prohibition against retaliating against an employee who reports violations of law, mismanagement, waste, abuse, or dangerous/unsafe workplace conditions, among other protected activities, concerning nuclear safety (referred to as “whistleblowers”). Specifically, this rule clarifies the definition of “DOE Nuclear Safety Requirements” and clarifies that the prohibition against whistleblower retaliation is a DOE Nuclear Safety Requirement to the extent that it concerns nuclear safety.

The DOE Office of Enterprise Assessments’ (EA) Office of Enforcement will host the 2017 DOE Safety and Security Enforcement Workshop May 9 and 10, 2017, at the Nevada Support Facility/Nevada Field Office in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The workshop will be held in conjunction with the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) Regulatory and Enforcement Technical Subgroup, which will hold a contractor-only meeting on enforcement-related topics on May 11 at the same location.

Secretary Moniz has approved the 2016 Annual Report of Independent Oversight activities, required by the Appropriations Committees.

Deputy Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall approved a new Independent Oversight Program Order (DOE O 227.1A) on December 21, 2015. The Order prescribes the requirements and responsibilities for the DOE Independent Oversight Program, which is implemented by the Office of Enterprise Assessments. The requirements in this directive are designed to ensure that the Independent Oversight Program is implemented in a transparent, efficient, and constructive manner to support the safe and secure accomplishment of DOE’s missions.