Enterprise-wide Assessment of the Department of Energy's Packaging and Shipping of Radioactive Waste
Office of Enterprise Assessments
August 7, 2020
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August 2020,
Enterprise-wide Assessment of the Department of Energy's Packaging and Shipping of Radioactive Waste
The Deputy Secretary of Energy, in a July 9, 2019 memorandum, directed the Office of Enterprise Assessments (EA) to conduct U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-wide assessments of procedures and practices for packaging and shipping radioactive waste. In response, EA conducted assessments of the higher risk low-level waste (LLW), mixed low-level waste (MLLW), and transuranic (TRU) waste management programs. The assessments were performed from August 2019 through March 2020 and resulted in 16 interim assessment reports. The objective of each assessment was to evaluate the performance of radioactive waste management packaging and shipping processes from waste characterization and generation through waste stream control, packaging, and shipping of LLW, MLLW, and TRU waste for disposal. This report provides an analysis of these individual assessments and identifies both best practices and recommendations, with the goal of promoting organizational learning and improving performance.