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About POGO's Federal Contractor Misconduct Database (FCMD)

The government awards contracts to companies with histories of misconduct such as contract fraud and environmental, ethics, and labor violations. In the absence of a centralized federal database listing instances of misconduct, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is providing such data. We believe that it will lead to improved contracting decisions and public access to information about how the government spends hundreds of billions of taxpayer money each year on goods and services. Report an instance of misconduct »

Ranking: 62

Lawrence Livermore Nat'l Security

In October 2007, Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (LLNS), a joint venture consisting of Bechtel National, University of California, Babcock and Wilcox, the Washington Division of URS Corporation, and Battelle, manages and operates the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which seeks to ensure the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear weapons through the application of advanced science, engineering and technology.

Federal Contract $: $1574.9m

Total Number of Instances: 2

Total Misconduct dollar amount: $ 2.9m

Instances of Misconduct

1. Beryllium Exposure Fine

The U.S. Department of Energy levied a $200,000 fine against Lawrence Livermore National Security, the company that manages Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, for lapses in protecting workers from exposure to a toxic metal. In 2007, 2008 and 2010, lab workers were exposed to beryllium, a lightweight metal used in nuclear weapons development that is considered a human carcinogen. Government investigations found the exposures were caused by workers not wearing protective gear while handling equipment contaminated with beryllium dust. A 2008 report found lapses in the lab’s beryllium worker-protection program.... more»

2. Age Bias Lawsuit

A group of 130 former employees of Lawrence Livermore National Security claim they were discriminated against on the basis of their age. They allege that LLNS targeted workers over the age of 40 when it laid off hundreds of employees in May 2008. The plaintiffs include former administrative assistants, maintenance workers, engineers and senior scientists. In May 2013, the jury determined that the five plaintiffs selected as test cases had been terminated in bad faith violation of their employment contracts and awarded them a total of $2.7 million in damages. All 130 plaintiffs' claims for age discrimination will be tried in a later phase of the case.... more»