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The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (Laboratory) stores nearly 65,000 cubic meters of waste generated on site or brought to the State of Idaho (Idaho) from Department of Energy (DOE) sites across the country. Because Idaho was concerned that the State might become a "de facto" permanent repository, the Governor of Idaho sought and received an injunction from the Federal courts which prohibited future waste shipments to Idaho. The injunction also affected the Navy's shipment of spent nuclear fuel into the Laboratory. Due to concerns about the injunction's impact, DOE and the Navy negotiated with Idaho and signed the Idaho Settlement Agreement (Agreement) on October 17, 1995. The purpose of our audit was to determine whether it is in the best interest of the Government to defer processing the 3,100 cubic meters of waste until the new Treatment Facility can do so.

Waste Treatment Plans at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (Results Act) was enacted to improve Federal program effectiveness and public accountability by promoting a new focus on results-oriented management. The Results Act requires plans that define the mission, long-term goals, and shorter-term performance measures. Further, the Act envisions that there will be an apparent relationship between this information and specific activities listed in the Department’s budget requests. Taken together, these elements should clearly describe the outputs and outcomes the Department expects to deliver for the resources expended. The objectives of this audit were to determine whether the Department had implemented the requirements of the Results Act by (1) integrating the planning, budgeting, and performance measures for its programs into a unified, Departmentwide strategy; (2) developing specific, measurable, and results-oriented performance standards to which its programs and contractors could be held accountable; and (3) developing the means to collect reliable performance data and to use that data in evaluating whether performance actions produce intended results. The information in the Fiscal Year 1999 budget requests for the Offices of Environmental Management, Defense Programs, Energy Research, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and Nuclear Energy Science and Technology formed the basis of our review.od

The U. S. Department of Energy's Implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act

Southpoint Power Plant Project

Transuranic Waste Treatment Facility at Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Westinghouse Savannah River Company (Westinghouse) manages and operates the Savannah River Site, located in Aiken, South Carolina, for the U.S. Department of Energy (Department). Westinghouse was self-insured for health benefits and contracted with Aetna Insurance to administer the plan (service payments to providers) from Calendar Year (CY) 1989 through 1996. Westinghouse’s administrative service contract with Aetna Insurance expired on December 31, 1996. Westinghouse chose Blue Cross/Blue Shield of South Carolina (BC/BS) to administer its health plan, effective January 1, 1997.

Westinghouse Savannah River Company's Health Benefit Plan

The Small Business Act (Act) requires that small business concerns owned and controlled by socially or economically disadvantaged individuals have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in contracts awarded by any Federal agency. Section 8(a) of the Act establishes a program that authorizes the Small Business Administration (SBA) to enter into contracts with other agencies and award subcontracts for performing those contracts to firms enrolled in the 8(a) Program directly to the agencies. Contracts are to be awarded competitively if the anticipated award price of the contract will exceed $3 million and at least two responsible 8(a) firms could submit offers.