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Time - Man of the Year
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Time_Man_of_the_Year_Compact_Publishing_3YX-Disc-1_Compact_Publishing_1993.iso
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moy
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021792
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0217102.000
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1992-08-28
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NATION, Page 37American NotesHARASSMENTNow Go to Your Room
Energy Secretary James Watkins, who oversees the nation's
problem-plagued government nuclear facilities, insists that
employees who go public with charges of plant-safety problems
are free to blow the whistle without fear of reprisal.
Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way for Charles ("Bud")
Varnadore, a technician at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in
Tennessee. Varnadore, 50, suffers from colon cancer and
underwent 52 weeks of chemotherapy. After he appeared on a CBS
news program in March 1991 to talk about a study that showed
suspiciously high rates of cancer among workers at the facility,
his bosses assigned him to a new office -- a storage closet next
to the chemical lab. Later they moved him to other offices
crammed with mercury, radioactive materials and asbestos.
Last week the Labor Department upheld Varnadore's claim
that the plant managers at Oak Ridge, which is operated for the
government by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, had acted in
retaliation against Varnadore for his complaints. The company
plans to appeal the decision. So does Varnadore, who is also
looking for $1.5 million in damages.