Wasting the Future

T-RCED-94-138
Nuclear Health and Safety:
Health Oversight at DOE Defense Nuclear Facilities
Health and Safety has Historically Taken a Back Seat to Weapons Production. There is Still Cause for Concern. (Not available electronically, can be ordered from GAO)
General Accounting Office (GAO) Reports

T-RCED-94-143
Health and Safety:
Protecting Department of Energy Workers' Health and Safety
Protecting workers from exposure to radiation and hazardous materials continues to a problem at DOE sites. Data from DOE's health surveillance program is suspect. (Not available electronically, can be ordered from GAO.)
General Accounting Office (GAO) Reports

RCED-95-1
Dept. of Energy:
National Priorities Needed for Meeting Environmental Agreements
DOE has only put a small amount of effort into physically cleaning up its nuclear weapons complex and has yet to complete the cleanup of a major facility.

RCED-96-124
Nuclear Waste:
Greater Use of Removal Actions Could Cut Costs for Cleanup
Summary: Since 1989, DOE has received about $10 billion to clean up more than 10,000 waste sites. So far, most of the money has gone to study waste sites rather than for actual clean up.

GAO/RCED-98-68
Dept. of Energy:
Problems and Progress in Managing Plutonium
In addition to its delays in stabilizing and DOE is currently storing approximately 10,000 pits in containers that both DOE and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board believe are not suitable for extended storage, thus risking workers' exposure to plutonium.

GAO/T-RCED-98-205
Department of Energy:
Clear Strategy on External Regulation Needed for Worker and Nuclear Facility Safety
GAO has long criticized DOE for weaknesses in its self- regulation of the environment, safety and health at its own facilities. With few exceptions, worker and nuclear facility safety has been self-regulated by DOE in the name of national security. But DOE has waffled on whether worker safety and nuclear facility safety should be externally regulated.

RCED-99-146
Dept. of Energy:
DOE's Nuclear Safety Enforcement Program Should be Strengthened
Some nuclear materials at DOE sites have deteriorated, are not properly packaged for storage, and may pose a significant risk to workers, the public, and the environment. DOE uses a system of civil monetary penalties to hold its contractors accountable for meeting the agency's nuclear safety requirements. DOE found that, for it to be able to assess civil penalties, existing safety requirements would have to be reissued as enforceable rules. Since 1988, however, DOE has issued enforceable rules covering only two of 11 safety areas.

T-RCED-00-135
Department of Energy:
Views on Proposed Civil Penalties, Security Oversight, and External Safety Regulation Legislation
Notes that despite evidence that DOE's self regulation of facility and worker safety has been week, the sccretary is unwilling to have external regulation. Notes that the University of California and other contractors are exempt from paying fines for violations of nuclear safety regulations. "DOE has a long history of safety, managerial and security problems," the report notes.

ER-B-98-09
Audit Report:
Disposal of Tritium Residues at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
A Task Group stated that Los Alamos had not stressed the importance of maximizing tritium utilization; minimizing the generation of tritium residues, such as scrap and waste; or minimizing the loss of material through environmental releases. The Task Group found that wastewater containing tritium residues had been stored in the laboratory's operating facilities for as long as 2 years without authorization for its disposal.

01-08-2001
Hazard Identification and Analysis at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The weaknesses in the emergency preparedness program identified by the Board's staff could have an impact on the laboratory's ability to effectively implement protective actions in case of an incident. The emergency preparedness program is the last line of defense and mitigative measure, and as such needs to be comprehensive and well coordinated.

05-30-2000
Status of Authorization Bases at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Recent Occurrence Reports from LLNL and actions by the Department of Energy (DOE) Livermore Site Office (LSO) indicate that some nuclear safety practices at LLNL defense nuclear facilities may not be adequate.

01-14-2000
Electrical Distribution System at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The Board's staff concluded that the safety-class emergency power system does not meet current nuclear industry requirements for safety-class systems. It has several deficiencies related to single failure, redundancy, and physical separation.

12-21-1999
Fire Protection Systems and the Year 2000 (Y2K) Program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
In the enclosed report, the Board's staff concludes that LLNL's safety-class emergency power system does not meet current safety-class standards. Also, the preventive maintenance and calibration program for the emergency power system does not appear to be adequate.

05-6-1999
Safety Management at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Building 332
The facility has not completed efforts to address the safety issues that led to the criticality infractions in 1997 and has not yet fully implemented an Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS).

01-22-2001
Design and Construction Projects at Los Alamos National Laboratory
According to the principles of Integrated Safety Management, to adequately address safety, the process of designing defense nuclear facilities needs to include early identification and analysis of hazards, as well as identification of controls required to protect the public, workers, and the environment. The design of engineered controls and the development of administrative controls must evolve as an integral part of the design process.

09-22-2000
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) Concerning Electrical, Instrumentation and Control, and Fire Protection Systems at Los Alamos National Laboratory
LANL's Work Smart Standards do not address the design of safety-class or safety-significant electrical and instrumentation and control systems. The report also identifies opportunities for improvement in a number of other areas, including design requirements for fire protection and lightning protection systems.

9-21-98
Recent Seismic Investigations at LANL
DOE has found evidence for the potential of a fault under the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) building. The seismic capability of this fault is uncertain and may be difficult to determine because of human disturbance of the soil over the years.

01-13-98
Resumption of Work at the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR)
During a recent review at CMR, the Board's staff identified weaknesses in CMR's control of the authorization basis. Preserving the authorization basis is a vital function that must be performed if program work is to continue safely within the facility.