Nuclear Health and Safety:
Information on a Quality Assurance Problem at DOE's Savannah River Site
RCED-90-61FS: Published: Oct 23, 1989. Publicly Released: Oct 24, 1989.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information about the Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Plant's material content problem with the nuclear reactor fuel and target tubes it used to make tritium, focusing on: (1) why some of the fuel and targets did not have the correct material content for reactor placement; (2) the material content problem's effects on reactor safety; (3) the costs to address the problem; and (4) implications for reactor restart.
GAO found that: (1) DOE had the former site operation contractor cease assembly of fuel and target tubes in September 1988, after the contractor reported that tube contents were too low; (2) the former contractor subsequently found that 174 tubes either did not meet content specifications or had inadequate documentation to determine whether they met specifications; (3) DOE did not plan to use the 174 problem tubes or an additional 101 tubes that were included in the problem tubes' assemblies; (4) the former contractor did not adequately ensure that tube assemblies met all of the specifications, independently verify the accuracy of comparisons between tubes' physical examinations and content documentation, or keep adequate tube retesting records; (5) DOE and the present contractor reported that no safety problems resulted from the tube problems, since the tubes' variation from specifications was very small and well within established safety margins; (6) although the contractor estimated that it would cost $731,000 to replace the defective tubes, it did not develop cost information regarding production overhead, staff time, or the closing of operations for the year it took to resolve the problem; (7) DOE reported that the tube problems would not affect the planned restart of the closed reactor; and (8) DOE approved a new quality assurance program the contractor developed to address the tube problem.
Dec 10, 2020
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Uranium Management:
Actions to Mitigate Risks to Domestic Supply Chain Could Be Better Planned and CoordinatedGAO-21-28: Published: Dec 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 2020.
Dec 8, 2020
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Offshore Wind Energy:
Planned Projects May Lead to Construction of New Vessels in the U.S., but Industry Has Made Few Decisions amid UncertaintiesGAO-21-153: Published: Dec 8, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 8, 2020.
Nov 19, 2020
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Nuclear Waste Disposal:
Better Planning Needed to Avoid Potential Disruptions at Waste Isolation Pilot PlantGAO-21-48: Published: Nov 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Oct 29, 2020
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Nuclear Safety:
DOE and the Safety Board Should Collaborate to Develop a Written Agreement to Enhance OversightGAO-21-141: Published: Oct 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 29, 2020.
Oct 15, 2020
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Nuclear Weapons:
NNSA Plans to Modernize Critical Depleted Uranium Capabilities and Improve Program ManagementGAO-21-16: Published: Oct 15, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 15, 2020.
Jul 24, 2020
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Nuclear Weapons:
Action Needed to Address the W80-4 Warhead Program's Schedule ConstraintsGAO-20-409: Published: Jul 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 24, 2020.
Jun 24, 2020
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National Nuclear Security Administration:
Analyzing Cost Savings Program Could Result in Wider Use and Additional Contractor EfficienciesGAO-20-451: Published: Jun 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 24, 2020.
Jun 9, 2020
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Nuclear Weapons:
NNSA Needs to Incorporate Additional Management Controls Over Its Microelectronics ActivitiesGAO-20-357: Published: Jun 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 9, 2020.
May 13, 2020
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Environmental Liabilities:
DOE Needs to Better Plan for Post-Cleanup Challenges Facing SitesGAO-20-373: Published: May 13, 2020. Publicly Released: May 13, 2020.
May 12, 2020
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Hanford Waste Treatment Plant:
DOE Is Pursuing Pretreatment Alternatives, but Its Strategy Is Unclear While Costs Continue to RiseGAO-20-363: Published: May 12, 2020. Publicly Released: May 12, 2020.
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