The former top official at the NRC's Region 4 office in Arlington, Texas used to have a picture of an iceberg displayed on his office wall. He was very fond of that iceberg, and even carried a viewgraph (slide) of it with him to meetings and projected it up on the big screen for all the world to see. He was very, very, proud of that iceberg.  He loved his iceberg.  It was, you might say, his personal symbol; his icon.

 

What this man said, what he did, and what he said to do, were all very different things.  He was, like for example, the tip of the iceberg. He was at the top!  Appearances were also, like his iceberg,  that he was bright and shiny and upstanding.  Below the water, however,  was a different view of  this person, I mean iceberg, that was the perfect case for "what you see is not necessarily what you get".  In my opinion and belief, he was just like his beloved iceberg.

 

Like the iceberg, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has demonstrated  a  problem of perception. Scientists have said that the portion of the iceberg that you can see is only 15 % of its total mass,  while 85% of it remains unseen below the water line.  Lets explore and example of the NRC's iceberg effect.

 

One of many cases of timecard and attendance abuses reported to our "man of the iceberg" had the same elements of percentage.

 

A long time NRC employee was placed in a key position of trust by senior management. This person was observed to be at work only 15% of the time, while being absent from their duty station 85% of the time. This was not a case of a few weeks, but for over a period of almost four years.  The NRC's senior management only saw the tip of the iceberg, with respect to subject employee and gave them high marks, awards and promotion. 

 

It would be interesting to know the truth of the matter.  Was it a case of the NRC's senior management at Region 4 only seeing the tip of the iceberg, or , knowing the activity was going on below the waterline and ignoring, or even overlooking it?.

 

The view from this NRC contractor employee's perspective was very different. I could see below the NRC water line. Certain critical job duties of this habitually and frequently absent person were performed by myself as an official "back up".  These were important and specialized duties.  It was very evident to others that my filling in for the frequently absent NRC employee was not the exception, but the rule. 

 

On two separate occasions an emergency arose within the offices of the NRC Region 4 in Arlington, Texas, that was, per NRC protocol, to be handled by our missing employee. As their designated back up, I was contacted to take immediate emergency action.  I took appropriate steps to locate the prime NRC employee and notify them of the state of emergency, after the incident was handled and over with.  On both occasions our missing employee was readily contacted by the security official that I personally asked to locate them. Where was it then, that they were reached by telephone and notified of our sites emergency condition?  It was not in our office and not even our building.  It was at their beauty shop. This was not an official period before or after working hours, nor was it at lunchtime. It was primetime working hours when the majority of NRC and NRC contractor employees were at their work posts, working.

 

Many excuses and explanations of personal hardship, bad luck etc. were later given about this situation.  Not all really sounded truthful or realistic to me. The IG's (Inspector General) investigators were told tales of suffering and personal tragedy.  I am sorry, but to be absent from work for days and weeks at a time on personal business, is unrealistic. I also have suffered illness and personal loss, and I am sure that many of you have as well.  The fact is that you and I have had to overcome these things and still "be on the job, and perform to set attendance guidelines. Would you be able to hold down your present position if you had an attendance rate of 85 % absenteeism.  I think not.  I have been a professional for some 37 years, and I know better than this.

 

Most of my adult life I have served at defense sites representing the Department of Defense, NATO and the likes of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. My security clearances have included US Top Secret, NATO Cosmos, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions ADP II.  I have also served in private industry and know what acceptable employee attendance guidelines and performance requirements are. I have never abused them.

 

Does the NRC hold their employees to accepted, real world, attendance guidelines?  Their answer has been a resounding yes, while my reported personal observation was an honest and  factual no.

 

Remember the NRC official's beloved iceberg and motto; "what you see is not necessarily what you get".

 

I guess what troubles me most is that these people pose as the guardians of public safety. Their alleged superior judgment, knowledge and and powers of observation are portrayed in a manner as to protect the American people from harm in the regulation of nuclear power plants and medical facilities which utilize nuclear medicine. They sit in an undisputed position of trust and superiority.

 

 

The cases of attendance violations and abuse reported within the NRC were, in my opinion and belief, never taken seriously, overlooked or covered up.

 

Why do you ask?  My opinion and belief is that no robust investigation was ever performed and it was an intentional effort to provide containment, avoid agency embarrassment and discredit a whistleblower that was a government witness to their negligent and inappropriate conduct.

 

Ron Bath was fired from his position at the NRC as a technology specialist contractor employee for reporting acts of criminal misconduct.  He had a record of perfect attendance there.  The often absent NRC key employee is still employed there, business as usual. Go figure!

 

Do you want to know what really hurts? Remember the iceberg man,  the former top official at the NRC's Region 4 office in Arlington, Texas?  The one that used to have a picture of an iceberg displayed on his office wall? He is the one ultimately responsible, in my opinion and belief,  for my being fired in retaliation for reporting the criminal misconduct of his employees that were arrested. He personally handed over my allegation documents to one of the crooks, among others,  that happened to be my supervisor at the NRC. It was his negligence, in my opinion and belief,  which caused me to lose my job.

 

He was, for example,  like the tip of the iceberg. He was at the top!  Appearances were also, like his iceberg,  that he was bright and shiny and upstanding.  Below the water, however,  was a different view of this person, I mean iceberg, that was the perfect case for "what you see is not necessarily what you get".  In my opinion and belief, he was just like his beloved iceberg.

 

I ask you this question. If the point is; "what you see is not necessarily what you get". How can you respect a person that misses his own point?

 

Do you want to know what else really hurts after these three long years?  Our iceberg man, promoted to an even bigger office in Washington, DC, still probably has that same damn iceberg picture, of his, on his office wall'. 

 

If you work at the iceberg man's office, which is probably close to that of his boss, NRC Chairman Nils J. Diaz, go to his office and look for the picture of the iceberg on his wall.  If it's still there, take it down and hand it to him, and tell him for Ron Bath that he missed the point. 

 

I am willing to bet, that to this day, he has still missed the point.

 

My friends, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  More revelations about the NRC to come.

 

Coming soon!  Fun with FOIA (the freedom of information act).

 

 

Have an honest day at work,

 

 

Ron Bath