Oregon Public Broadcasting

A Hanford whistleblower is suing two federal contractors.

Walter Tamosaitis filed his lawsuit in Kennewick Monday against Bechtel National and URS Corporation.

He claims the contractors removed him from his manager position after he raised safety and technical concerns about Hanford's $12 billion nuclear waste treatment plant, or Vit Plant.

Tamosaitis' attorney Jack Sheridan accused Bechtel and URS of not giving safety enough attention.

Jack Sheridan: "And the danger of course is that we get all the way down the road, we seal up the facility and we start pumping that stuff through and in a day, a month, or a year it clogs, it blows, or something else happens that causes us to say the biggest plant or project perhaps in American history doesn't work, shut off the lights, let's go home."

Tamosaitis continues to earn a six-figure salary. But his attorney says he's been reassigned to a basement office and performs "no meaningful work."

Bechtel and URS have not yet responded to requests for comment.