Nuclear Safety: Concerns About Reactor Restart and Implications for DOE's Safety Culture
RCED-90-104
Published: Apr 12, 1990. Publicly Released: Jun 11, 1990.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) efforts to restart three nuclear production reactors at the Savannah River site in South Carolina.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | To achieve the desired safety culture change in Savannah River reactor operations, the Secretary of Energy should require that Westinghouse prepare a comprehensive, integrated implementation plan with specific tasks, milestones, and measurement indicators. |
Closed – Not Implemented
DOE indicates that Westinghouse's Reactor Operations Plan includes a discussion of the culture change program. Further, DOE will issue a Safety Evaluation Report (SER) to document the results of the DOE review of the readiness of the reactors for restart. No separate plan is intended.
|
| Department of Energy | DOE should review the Westinghouse plan to ensure that it is complete and then formally approve it. |
Closed – Not Implemented
DOE believes that the integration of the safety culture change into the restart activities is essential to make the change effective. DOE does not agree that a separate plan with specific tasks, milestones, and measurement indicators is necessary; in fact, the development of a separate plan could confuse the issue, according to DOE.
|
| Department of Energy | After approving the Westinghouse plan, the Secretary of Energy should direct the Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs to use the plan, along with other factors, to establish the award fee criteria for the 6-month award fee evaluation period beginning October 1, 1990. |
Closed – Implemented
In a letter dated August 11, 1989, DOE revised the Award Fee Determination Plan for the Savannah River Site to allot a total of 58.25 percent of the total award fee dollars to environment, safety, and health.
|
| Department of Energy | To ensure that safety culture is changed DOE-wide, the Secretary of Energy should develop a departmentwide plan for bringing about the needed changes in the safety culture in DOE and for contractors at other DOE nuclear facilities, to include measurement indicators. |
Closed – Not Implemented
DOE agrees that the safety culture of both federal and contractor employees must be improved; however, the DOE position is that this must be accomplished through "top down" emphasis on a safety culture, award fee determination, and ongoing training. No separate plan is intended.
|
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