Personnel Security (10 CFR Part 710)

On June 25, 2015, an Administrative Judge determined that an individual’s access authorization should not be restored.  In reaching this determination, the Administrative Judge found that the individual had not successfully addressed the DOE’s security concerns regarding his use of alcohol, which included frequent intoxication and had resulted in three alcohol-related arrests.  These facts led a DOE-consultant psychologist to conclude that the individual consumed alcohol habitually to excess, to a degree that causes or may cause a significant defect in judgment or reliability.  Although the individual had begun complying with the DOE psychologist’s recommendations for rehabilitation, the duration of his abstinence and the extent of his treatment fell short of the recommendations for rehabilitation.  Moreover, the Administrative Judge found that the DOE’s security concerns regarding his criminal behavior were not resolved:  while two charges could be mitigated due to the passage of time, the probability of future alcohol-related arrests remains a concern until such time as the individual resolves his alcohol-related concerns.  OHA Case No. PSH-15-0016 (William M. Schwartz)