Nuclear Health and Safety: Stronger Oversight of Asbestos Control Needed at Hanford Tank Farms
RCED-88-150
Published: Jul 29, 1988. Publicly Released: Aug 05, 1988.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO investigated potential asbestos exposure problems at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford site in Richland, Washington (DOE/RL), focusing on the activities of the: (1) contractor who operated the site's tank farms until June 1987; and (2) current contractor.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should direct the Manager, DOE/RL, to build on recent corrective initiatives by actively overseeing the asbestos program to ensure that its contractors effectively implement and comply with all DOE/OSHA asbestos requirements. |
Closed – Implemented
DOE has issued its policy statement and guidance on OSHA standards to Richland's managers and contractors. Also, copies of the GAO report and DOE comments have been distributed to all operations' managers to emphasize their responsibility to maintain active oversite of their asbestos program.
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Topics
AsbestosContractor personnelEmployment assistance programsFiber inhalation diseasesGOCOLabor relationsMedical examinationsNoncomplianceNuclear facility safetyNuclear waste disposalOccupational health standardsAsbestos abatement