US Department of Labor reaches agreement with environmental cleanup provider to resolve alleged hiring discrimination at Richland’s Hanford Site

RICHLAND, WA – The U.S. Department of Labor has reached an early resolution conciliation agreement with an environmental cleanup provider alleged to have discriminated against 151 Hispanic applicants for contract employment at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site near Richland.

An investigation by the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs found that – from Jan. 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2019 – Washington River Protection Solutions LLC discriminated against the affected applicants who sought jobs as health physics technician trainees.

While not admitting liability, the employer will pay $157,621 in back wages and interest to the affected jobseekers, and make job offers to eligible class members. Washington River Protection Solutions must also revise and monitor its selection process, personnel practices and hiring policies to ensure non-discriminatory hiring practices are in place at the Richland location.  

“Federal contractors are obliged to provide all applicants with equal employment opportunities to make certain all workers have a fair shot at getting and keeping good paying jobs,” said Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Regional Director Jane Suhr in San Francisco.

Headquartered in Richland, Washington River Protection Solutions provides environmental cleanup and management services under contract to the Department of Energy. From 2008 to 2021, the company received more than $7 billion in federal contracts. 

Executive Order 11246 prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment based on race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

Learn more about OFCCP. If you think you may be a member of the affected class during the investigative period, please visit the Class Member Locator. The agency offers the Class Member Locator to identify applicants or workers who may be entitled to monetary relief and/or consideration for job placement as a result of OFCCP’s compliance evaluations and complaint investigations.

OFCCP enforces Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974.