RICHLAND, WA – Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), a contractor managing radioactive waste at the Hanford Site, has agreed to pay $6.5 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly overbilled the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for labor hours, according to a settlement announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker.
The agreement resolves claims that WRPS fraudulently charged DOE for excessive idle time between October 1, 2017, and December 31, 2024. Prosecutors allege the company sought reimbursement for hours worked by employees who were not assigned enough tasks to fill their shifts, but were instructed to log full-time hours anyway.
Of the $6.5 million settlement, $3 million is designated as restitution. The DOJ stated this amount more than doubles the damage to taxpayers. The settlement includes admissions by WRPS that it billed for unallowable labor costs and failed to schedule sufficient work for its employees under its cost-plus-award-fee contract with the DOE for Hanford’s tank farms.
“This is unfortunately not the first time WRPS has faced these allegations,” said Barker, referencing a $5.275 million False Claims Act settlement in 2017 over similar misconduct.
The recent case began in December 2022 when a WRPS employee filed a sealed whistleblower complaint under the False Claims Act. As part of the settlement, the whistleblower will receive $1.4 million and reimbursement for legal fees.
“The relator-whistleblower in this case is to be commended,” Barker said. “We are able to uncover fraud and hold fraudsters accountable only when good people come forward and report it to law enforcement.”
The case was jointly investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler H.L. Tornabene led the prosecution.