PSH-23-0018 - In the Matter of Personnel Security Hearing

On April 19, 2023, an Administrative Judge (AJ) determined that an Individual's access authorization should not be restored under 10 C.F.R. Part 710. The DOE Local Security Office (LSO) suspended the Individual's security clearance because he had been diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), Severe, and had five alcohol-related arrests between 2008 and 2017.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the AJ determined the following. The LSO appropriately invoked Guideline G. The Individual did not put forth sufficient evidence to resolve the security concerns. The record demonstrated that he had started following the treatment recommendations of the DOE - consultant psychiatrist who diagnosed the Individual with AUD. However, he had only done so for approximately six months by the hearing deadline; and, based on the severity of his AUD diagnosis, his past history of relapse after participating in court -ordered alcohol treatment for eighteen-months, and the psychiatrist's opinion on the hearing date that the Individual had not demonstrated adequate evidence of reformation or rehabilitation, the AJ concluded that the Individual had not resolved the Guideline G security concerns. (OHA Case No. PSH-23-0018, Thompson)