GAO: DOE MUST STRENGTHEN ITS PLAN TO DISPOSE OF CONTAMINATED EXCESS FACILITIES
Following a series of reports in past months addressing the Department of Energy’s (DOE) program management challenges, a recently released report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) called on the DOE to strengthen its plan and practices when deactivating and decommissioning contaminated excess facilities.
As of fiscal year (FY) 2023, DOE estimated that it would cost $1.4 billion to deactivate and decommission 85 excess facilities contaminated with radiological and chemical waste. These facilities, owned by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), are no longer needed to support DOE's missions.
Effective management of DOE's contaminated excess facilities is important because it could reduce the federal government’s environmental liability. It is also important because disposition is crucial to maintaining and modernizing infrastructure for the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. The condition of these facilities worsens over time, highlighting the importance of timely and effective management to reduce risk and costs.
DOE's most recent plan for deactivating and decommissioning contaminated excess facilities. was issued in 2022.
In its report evaluating the plan, GAO examined:
DOE's approach to deactivating and decommissioning contaminated excess facilities.
The extent to which DOE's planning efforts addressed statutory requirements and key practices.
DOE's fiscal year 2023 data on contaminated excess facilities.
DOE's 2022 deactivation and decommissioning plan.
Interviews with NNSA and EM officials, including officials at seven sites with NNSA contaminated excess facilities.
GAO found that DOE’s plan did not include four of the six statutorily required elements or fully incorporated the three key practices for planning for results of federal efforts. The report acknowledged that DOE faces limitations, such as the availability of funding and contracting mechanisms, that affect its ability to deactivate and decommission facilities.
However, GAO still recommended incorporating all statutorily required elements and key practices, such as by including a list of facilities prioritized by the potential to reduce risk and maximize cost savings and defining strategies to mitigate barriers to deactivating and decommissioning work. These initiatives would help DOE to better communicate to Congress the “how” and “why: behind DOE’s plan to reduce the environmental liability that contaminated excess facilities pose and what support DOE needs to overcome its limitations that prevent it from achieving that outcome. These efforts would also help DOE to better understand its own activities and develop strategies to overcome budgetary and mechanical limitations.
GAO made the following four (4) recommendations:
DOE's 2025 plan for deactivation and decommissioning of contaminated excess facilities should address all statutorily required elements, such as by including a list of facilities prioritized based on the potential to reduce risks to human health, property, or the environment and maximize cost savings and by including a schedule for when EM will accept facilities for deactivation and decommissioning.
DOE's 2025 disposition planning efforts for contaminated excess facilities define goals for each activity, such as by including measurable outcomes for the near and long term.
DOE's 2025 disposition planning efforts for contaminated excess facilities identify the strategies and resources needed to achieve defined goals, such as by including the resources needed to meet each of the stated goals.
DOE's 2025 disposition planning efforts for contaminated excess facility assess the environment by defining strategies to address or mitigate barriers affecting DOE's ability to achieve its goals, such as by including strategies to address the potential effects of budgetary constraints.
DOE concurred with all of GAO’s recommendations.