In an effort to provide greater clarity on the diverse nature of federal safety and employee protection programs, the Department of Energy (DOE) has compiled the following list of existing authorities that directly pertain to DOE employees and DOE contractors. These laws prescribe the appropriate protections and guidelines for employees raising protected concerns. The Department is committed to maintaining a safe, healthy, and transparent work environment through raising greater awareness of the existing employee protection programs. The following includes a summarization of existing protections as well as a link to the full text of each statutory and regulatory authority.
- 42 U.S.C. § 5851: Employee Protection
- 10 C.F.R. 708: DOE Contractor Employee Protection Program
- 10 C.F.R. 851: Worker Safety and Health Program
- 29 C.F.R. 1960.28: Employee Reports of Unsafe or Unhealthful Working Conditions
- 48 C.F.R. 970.0309: Whistleblower Protection of Contractor Employees
- 29 C.F.R. Part 24: Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints under Federal Employee Protection Statutes
- 10 C.F.R. 820: Procedural Rules for DOE Nuclear Activities
- Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation (DEAR) Subpart 903.9: Whistleblower Protections for Contractor Employees
- American Reinvestment and Recovery Act § 1553: Protecting State and Local Government and Contractor Whistleblowers
- National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 § 3164: Whistleblower Protection Program
- DOE Order 442.1 A: Department of Energy Employee Concerns Program
- DOE Order 440. 1 B: Worker Protection Program for DOE (Including NNSA) Federal Employees
- DOE Order 442 1-1 Differing Professional Opinions Manual for Technical Issues Involving Environment, Safety, and Health
Other Statutory Authorities
DOE also recognizes the following other statutory authorities that provide similar whistle blower protection programs.
- Clean Air Act
- Safe Drinking Water Act
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act
- Surface Transportation Assistance Act
- Toxic Substances Control Act
- Water Pollution Act
- Solid Waste Disposal Act
- Comprehensive Environmental, Response Compensation, and Liability Act