The government is taking a closer look at steroid use in the nuclear weapons complex because of recent incidents involving security guards in Oak Ridge. Two guards quit and two others were fired at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant after testing positive for anabolic steroids.
Damien LaVera, a spokesman for the National Nuclear Security Administration in Washingon, said the federal agency is reviewing the requirements for random steroid testing as a result of the Oak Ridge incidents.
"Currently, random steroid testing is not part of the corporate employee screening process for contractors operating across the (nuclear weapons) enterprise," LaVera said in an e-mail response to questions. "However, tests can be conducted where there is probable cause or if warranted by specific occurrences. The Department is reviewing the random testing requirements as a result of this recent incident."
Oak Ridge has become ground zero for the steroid issue. The International Guards Union of America is contesting the two firings because the guards claimed they did not use anabolic steroids. One of the fired guards, Russ Walker, said he had never taken anabolic steroids and said he believes the positive test result was due to legal over-the-counter supplements.
Wackenhut Services, the security contractor in Oak Ridge, has acknowledged that some legal supplements can cause the positive tests, but said it is the individual's responsibility to monitor what goes into their bodies.
Randy Lawson, the union president in Oak Ridge, said security police officers were never given a definitive drug policy and only received a "generic list" of banned substances. Lawson said an effort is underway to select an arbitrator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to hear the steroids case.
Courtney Henry, a spokeswoman for Wackenhut Services Inc. in Oak Ridge, said a couple of weeks ago that Wackenhut had stepped up its drug testing in light of the positive tests for steroids. She said that company had put into effect a "random/random" test protocol whereby a random sampling of the random samples -- taken for evaluation of Schedule I and II drugs, such as cocaine and marijuana -- would be set aside and tested specifically for steroids.
Lawson, however, said Wackenhut had given the union assurances "in writing" that such a program had not been put into effect, and Henry issued a revised statement last week.
"WSI-OR has taken all the steps necessary to conduct random tests for steroids, as they are not routinely tested for in current DOE-directed testing protocols," Henry said in a statement sent by e-mail. "WSI has not started the random testing for steroids at this time. We are educating our personnel about the dangers inherent in taking performance-enhancing supplements. When and if WSI-OR starts random sampling for steroids is a management decision. WSI-OR works closely with our bargaining units on all issues affecting the workforce. This is no exception."
Lawson said, based on his discussions with union officials at other sites in the nuclear weapons complex, that Oak Ridge is the only site where guards have been tested for steroids -- even on a limited basis.
In a statement released by Henry, Wackenhut agreed. "It is our belief that Oak Ridge is the only site that has conducted testing for steroids. Each of the tests conducted, to date, were based on probable cause."
LaVera, in a response late Friday, said he's not sure if that's the case. "A preliminary review indicates there have been other cases at other sites," he said, although he said he couldn't give a definitive answer yet.
Some observers have suggested that the Oak Ridge testing may have opened up a big can of worms for the Department of Energy because of the use of performance-enhancing supplements among security guards, who must pass rigorous physical tests ini order to keep them jobs.
Walker said he was only six months away from retirement when he was fired for his positive drug test.
(Frank Munger is a reporter for The Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee.)
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