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Open Recommendations

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: DOE Is Missing Opportunities to Apply Lessons from Other Countries That Could Reduce Risks and Costs
GAO-26-108082
Jul 29, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management should strategically engage with existing or new partner countries to identify and evaluate alternatives they have pursued that could help reduce risks and costs or accelerate nuclear cleanup efforts across the EM complex and periodically disseminate these approaches to EM site managers and EM decision-makers to explore and integrate into cleanup efforts, as appropriate. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: DOE Needs to Better Use End State Contracts to Achieve Intended Results
GAO-26-107745
Jul 29, 2026
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6 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Assistant Secretary of EM should ensure sites using Approach B report contract modification data at the individual subtask level in procurement data systems and correct existing and future data discrepancies. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Assistant Secretary for EM should strengthen how EM headquarters oversees cleanup work under ESCM task orders to better ensure sites consistently define and achieve end states. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Assistant Secretary of EM should direct sites to follow requirements for 10-Year Strategic Task Order Plans to discuss the reduction to environmental risk and financial liability as a result of completing work under proposed task orders. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Assistant Secretary for EM should ensure that EM headquarters identifies, analyzes, and addresses the root causes for task order cost growth. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Assistant Secretary of EM should ensure sites implement steps to improve the accuracy of cost data including better incorporating changes to scopes of work in task order IGCEs during negotiations. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Assistant Secretary of EM should direct EM headquarters to implement a process to ensure all task orders awarded as UCAs are definitized by the regulatory deadline. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Environmental Liabilities: Coast Guard Should Give Congress More Information on Millions of Dollars in Potential Costs
GAO-26-108173
Jul 14, 2026
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should expand the information provided to Congress regarding the Coast Guard's fiscal exposure for environmental cleanup activities, for example by identifying cleanup projects that are not reasonably estimable and the magnitude of uncertainties in its estimates in supplemental or other budget materials. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should develop a long-term strategy for managing the Coast Guard's environmental liabilities program that incorporates the elements of the risk-informed decision-making framework, such as having clearly defined program objectives by which to measure progress, evaluating outcomes, and analyzing ways to optimize its cleanup projects for potential cost savings. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Inflation Reduction Act: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Should Develop Performance Goals for Its Wildlife Refuge Projects
GAO-26-108212
Jul 10, 2026
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Fish and Wildlife Service The FWS Director should direct the NWRS Chief to develop and use performance goals for each of its IRA Section 60302 projects to determine if the agency is meeting the purpose of the IRA appropriations and making progress toward achieving the objectives in its IRA implementation plan. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service The FWS Director should ensure that FWS's comprehensive review of the NWRS includes (1) determining the critical skills and staffing levels that are needed to achieve NWRS goals, and (2) developing strategies to address any gaps in those critical skills and overall staffing levels. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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