Independent Evaluation

GAO commented on its evaluation of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. GAO noted that the: (1) scope of its evaluation is limited to selected funding and scheduling issues; (2) evaluation should include a determination of the site's suitability as a radioactive waste repository and the amount of funding and time needed to complete a full investigation; (3) draft statement of work places too much emphasis on evaluating issues other entities have previously reviewed; (4) earlier work should be used as a basis for analyzing potential problems in the program; and and (5) narrow scope of the draft statement of work could result in an assessment that may not address many of the project's major issues.