September 4, 2003

Savannah River Site's Waste Solidification Building

The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) plans to spend about $58 million to design and construct a facility at the Savannah River Site which will treat radioactive liquid wastes. The proposed facility, commonly referred to as the Waste Solidification Building (WSB), will produce several waste forms acceptable for disposal at existing sites around the complex. This effort is a part of the Department's Plutonium Disposition Program. NNSA approved the conceptual design for the WSB in July 2002. Construction is scheduled to begin in December 2004, with expected facility operation beginning in 2007. We conducted this audit to determine whether the Department has a complete plan to dispose of waste generated from the Plutonium Disposition Program.