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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
As of July 2026, DOE concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. Specifically, DOE said that EM, in collaboration with the Office of Management (MA), will ensure accurate reporting of data through STRIPES to SAM.gov for future contract actions. DOE said that while SAM.gov is not configured to display subtask or contract line-item number level data, EM will strive to ensure this information is publicly available via the respective EM site's conformed contract website. DOE also said that EM, in conjunction with MA, will correct any remaining data discrepancies and post contract line-item number (CLIN) level data on EM's conformed contract sites. When we confirm what actions DOE 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
As of July 2026, DOE concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. Specifically, DOE said that EM will strengthen Headquarters oversight of cleanup work under ESCM task orders to better ensure sites consistently define and achieve end states. DOE said that EM will develop an implementation plan to better define and achieve ESCM task order end states. When we confirm what actions DOE 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
As of July 2026, DOE concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. Specifically, DOE said that EM will reinforce existing guidance for 10-Year Strategic Task Order plan development with all EM sites that are currently administering end state contracts, which includes a requirement to discuss reductions in environmental risk and financial liability. When we confirm what actions DOE 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
As of July 2026, DOE partially concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. Specifically, DOE said that for ESCM task orders that experience cost control performance below a satisfactory level (as reported in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS)), EM will identify, analyze, and address root causes. DOE also said that contractors will be held accountable in both their fee and CPARS ratings as warranted. We continue to believe that DOE should identify, analyze, and address the root causes for task order cost growth for all task orders where cost growth is present and not just a subset based on contractor ratings in CPARS. When we confirm what actions DOE 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
As of July 2026, DOE concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. Specifically, DOE said that EM will develop an implementation plan to ensure that IGCEs are updated, as warranted, when material changes to scopes of work are identified up to and during negotiations. DOE said that for each ESCM task order, EM will continue to thoroughly document a comprehensive pre-negotiation plan to incorporate a detailed cost analysis, a technical evaluation, and the IGCE. When we confirm what actions DOE 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
As of July 2026, DOE concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. Specifically, DOE said that MA will reinforce guidance to EM sites that task orders awarded as UCAs should be minimized to the extent practicable, and that any task orders awarded as UCAs shall be definitized by the regulatory deadline. When we confirm what actions DOE 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.

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: Changes Needed to Ensure DOE Is Not Prematurely Excluding Less Expensive Options for Large Projects
GAO-26-108193
Jul 02, 2026
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Assistant Secretary for EM should ensure that the mission need for future large projects does not identify a particular solution and is revised as necessary before approval so that EM initiates projects that are open to a broad range of potential solutions. (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 incorporate independent experts outside of DOE into the mission need review stage for future large projects subject to the critical decision process, or the investigation stage for CERCLA cleanups with a high likelihood of resulting in a large capital asset project, to ensure that EM is not limiting potential solutions due to legal and regulatory constraints, influence from contractors, or existing projects. (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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