GAO releases reports on NRC recommendations, NNSA's modernization efforts, and Uranium Processing Facility

Photo courtesy of Government Accountability Office

Priority Open Recommendations: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

GAO sent a letter to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to provide an update on the recommendations previously given to the NRC. Ultimately GAO has found that a significant number of recommendations remain open and that implementation of these recommendations would greatly assist in operations. According to GAO, since their August 2019 letter NRC has not implemented any priority recommendations. In addition to four priority recommendations previously made and identified, GAO is adding three new recommendations regarding combating nuclear terrorism and cybersecurity risk management programs.

Now currently a total of seven, the priority recommendations from GAO fall into four major areas:

• Addressing the Security of Radiological Sources

• Improving the Reliability of Cost Estimates

• Improving Strategic Human Capital Management

• Ensuring the Cybersecurity of the Nation

NNSA's Modernization Efforts Would Benefit from a Portfolio Management Approach

The Department of Defense and Department of Energy estimate that nuclear modernization will cost hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade. This report, NNSA's Modernization Efforts Would Benefit from a Portfolio Management Approach, discusses NNSA’s ongoing and planned programs and projects, and additional steps that could be taken to continue improvements.

GAO found that “to support and enable ongoing and planned weapon programs, NNSA also plans to spend billions of dollars over the next 2 decades on capital asset projects and other infrastructure risk reduction and recapitalization efforts to modernize the production infrastructure NNSA uses to produce components and materials needed for its weapon programs.” This highlights one of GAO’s main concerns: financial projections and analyses.

GAO recommended “...presenting options to align its portfolio of programs to potential future budgets could help Congress and NNSA better understand NNSA’s priorities and trade-offs that may need to be undertaken in the future.”


Uranium Processing Facility Is on Schedule and Budget, and NNSA Identified Additional Uranium Program Costs

NNSA has made progress in the implementation of the 2017 GAO recommendation to enhance the management of uranium program activities, including but not limited to the development of a scope of work, cost estimates, and schedules. Specifically, NNSA has progressed in three critical ways: 1) developing process technologies that are expected to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of certain uranium processing capabilities; 2) investing in infrastructure to extend the operational lives of older uranium facilities; and 3) reducing the amount of uranium stored and used in these older uranium facilities.

Ultimately, NNSA has reported that the new Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) is on schedule and within budget. At the close of 2019, three of the seven UPF subprojects were complete, with four ongoing.