Stimulus funds go to contractors with history of problems

Contractors receiving stimulus funds for nuclear cleanup sites across the country include "many that have been cited for serious safety violations and costly mistakes," according to a report by Kimberly Kindy of The Washington Post. "In the case of the Energy Department program, private contractors do all cleanup work, and they have been involved from the beginning in shaping their piece of the stimulus. As far back as December, when it became clear that Obama would introduce a huge spending bill to create jobs, Energy Department staff members began meeting with the contractors, including representatives from Bechtel National, CH2M Hill and other large firms."