Status of Bonneville Power Administration's Efforts To Improve Its Oversight of Three Nuclear Power Projects
RCED-84-27
Published: Aug 03, 1984. Publicly Released: Aug 03, 1984.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) oversight of three nuclear projects being constructed by the Washington Public Power Supply System.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should have the Administrator, BPA, take the following steps to strengthen the BPA oversight program. BPA should clearly and specifically define its organizational roles and policies and adopt procedures for implementing its oversight objectives in both functional and organizational terms. The guidelines should define responsibilities for accomplishing oversight objectives and the interrelationships between the various BPA groups involved in oversight. BPA should also provide for effective coordination between these groups with oversight responsibilities and identify organizational channels through which problems are to be resolved. The guidelines should be in sufficient detail to ensure that staff members are aware of their responsibilities and how they are expected to accomplish them. |
Closed – Implemented
The agency does not believe that any further action is needed to address the specific problems identified in the report.
|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should have the Administrator, BPA, take the following steps to strengthen the BPA oversight program. BPA should outline how it intends to implement its contractual oversight authorities, both those contained in the project agreements and in the Memorandum of Understanding, to support the achievement of its oversight objectives. Specifically, BPA at a minimum should conduct line-item budget reviews, provide audit coverage adequate to address high priority audit areas, reach agreement with System management on a process which will ensure staff notification and attendance at appropriate meetings, and comprehensively review and monitor System staffing and organizational format to ensure full support for the objectives of the oversight program. After completing its oversight goals, policies, and procedures, BPA should review its oversight staffing and organizational format to ensure that they are adequate and appropriate to support a comprehensive oversight program. |
Closed – Implemented
The agency does not believe that any further action is needed to address the specific problems identified in the report.
|
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Topics
AuditsConstruction costsCost overrunsMonitoringNuclear powerplant constructionPersonnel managementConstructionHuman capital managementNuclear powerSchedule slippages