The Justice Dept. on April 24 announced that Tucker, Ga.-based Energy & Process Corp. has agreed to pay $4.6 million over the government’s allegations the company knowingly provided reinforcing steel to the mixed oxide fuel fabrication (MOX) facility that did not meet standards for nuclear construction. The government’s lawsuit alleged that E&P “failed to perform most of the necessary quality-assurance measures while falsely certifying that those requirements had been met.” Regarding the rebar that E&P supplied to the MOX project at the Savannah River site, near Aiken, S.C., the lawsuit further asserted that a third of it was found to be defective. “This settlement recovers substantial losses caused by E&P’s decision to cavalierly place its own profits above its commitment to adhere to important nuclear safety and quality-control requirements.” said U.S. Attorney John A. Horn in a statement. The allegations arose in part from a whistle-blower lawsuit, filed under the False Claims Act by a former employee of the prime contractor that subcontracted with E&P on the MOX project. An E&P post- settlement statement noted that the company “denies any wrongdoing and stands behind the quality of the product it provided, which complied with applicable standards, as well as the quality- assurance processes employed. “E&P settled this matter to put an end to an investigation that began back in January 2008,” the statement continued. “This has been an ongoing distraction to the company for almost 10 years.”