Personnel Security Hearing (10 CFR Part 710)

On January 10, 2014, a Hearing Officer issued a decision in which he determined that an individual’s access authorization should not be restored. In reaching this determination, the Hearing Officer found that the individual had resolved security concerns regarding his recent treatment of opioid dependence, based upon the opinion of two mental health professionals that he was rehabilitated from his prescription narcotic dependence. However, the Hearing Officer found that the individual had failed to resolve security concerns associated with his failure to provide accurate answers regarding past illegal drug use on several security questionnaires and during several personnel security interviews. The Hearing Officer determined that the individual’s 26-year history of  providing inaccurate answers regarding his illegal drug use outweighed any mitigation provided by the possibility that some of the false answers were caused by his opioid dependence.  OHA Case No. PSH-13-0105 (Richard Cronin)