PSH-24-0114 - In the Matter of Personnel Security Hearing

On August 20, 2024, an Administrative Judge (AJ) with DOE's Office of Hearings and appeals issued a decision not to restore an Individual's security clearance. The Individual was asked to take an alcohol test at work and arrived to the clinic over two hours later and was two minutes past his testing deadline. The result of the test was positive for alcohol but below the threshold for impairment. The Individual was referred to a DOE Contractor Psychologist for an evaluation and was diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder, Moderate. At the hearing, the Individual presented evidence documenting four months of abstinence from alcohol and testified that he may return to drinking in the future. The DOE Contractor Psychologist testified that the Individual was not rehabilitated or reformed because he had not been sober long enough and was not as deep into his recovery program as he should have been . The AJ found that the Individual had not mitigated the concerns raised under Guideline G and, therefore, recommended that his security clearance not be restored. (PSH-24-0114, Martin) (OHA Case No. PSH-24-0114, Martin)