Nuclear Safety and Health:
Problems With Cleaning Up the Solar Ponds at Rocky Flats
RCED-91-31: Published: Jan 3, 1991. Publicly Released: Mar 12, 1991.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) progress in cleaning up solar evaporation ponds at its Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant.
GAO found that: (1) in September 1986, DOE had to reclassify the ponds' low-level radioactive waste to mixed waste after detecting low concentrations of hazardous waste; (2) the reclassification resulted in the requirement that DOE obtain the necessary permits for hazardous waste storage and disposal; (3) the DOE contractor improperly mixed the cement and sludge waste in making pondcrete, a solidified waste form, causing thousands of pondcrete blocks to crumble and crack; (4) pondcrete packaging material deteriorated under adverse weather conditions; (5) lack of program plans and control mechanisms contributed to the cleanup problems; (6) the contractor developed procedures for processing pondcrete, reinspecting all pondcrete boxes, frequent monitoring of storage pads, and repackaging failed pondcrete boxes; (7) in addition to remixing and repackaging more than 8,000 pondcrete blocks, DOE still had to remove sediment from the largest pond and clean out the remaining four; (8) continued cleanup could result in the production of as many as 20,000 additional pondcrete blocks; and (9) DOE believed that the total project cost would be over $100 million.
Dec 10, 2020
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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