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On September 15, 1997, two health physics technicians and two waste management operators discovered evidence of a drum explosion in Building C-746-Q

On October 22, 1997, two electricians received serious flash burns as a result of an electrical fault and subsequent electrical arc blast

Inspector General Semiannual Report to Congress, April 1 - September 30, 1997

The Environmental Monitoring and Health Physics Laboratories at the Department of Energy's (Department) Savannah River Site are over 40 years old and are approaching the end of their useful lives. The managing and operating contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Company (Westinghouse), and the Savannah River Operations Office (Operations Office) proposed to build two new facilities to replace them. We conducted this audit to determine whether the construction of new laboratories was the most cost-effective alternative to accomplish the site's environmental monitoring and health physics missions.

Audit of Environmental Monitoring and Health Physics Laboratories at the Savannah River Site

The Office of Inspector General, Department of Energy (DOE), has identified deficiencies in the administration of performance-based contracts. I believe that if contracts have incentives, they should encourage superior performance and discourage substandard performance. They should also be structured to ensure that safety is not compromised. We have made recommendations to help assure that incentive fees paid under performance based contracts represent actual achievement by the Department’s contractors, and that real and measurable benefits are obtained by the Department and the American taxpayer.

Statement of John C. Layton, Inspector General Department of Energy Subject: Performance-based Contracts

Westinghouse Savannah River Company (Westinghouse) is responsible for managing the Department of Energy’s (Department) surplus facilities at the Savannah River Site (Site). In Fiscal Year (FY) 1996, the Site had 162 surplus facilities and anticipated that 118 more would become surplus within the next 5 years. The objective of this audit was to determine whether the Savannah River Operations Office (Operations Office) and Westinghouse had economically and promptly deactivated, decontaminated, and disposed of surplus facilities at the Site.

Audit of the Deactivation, Decontamination, and Disposal of Surplus Facilities at the Savannah River Site

On June 19, 1997, a 62-year old building service employee suffered a near syncope and uncontrolled hypertension during her routine work assignment.