Inspector General, Semiannual Report to Congress, April 1, 2009 - September 30, 2009
Report on Quality Control Review of the Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General, Office of Audit Services
The Department of Energy’s Savannah River Operations Office and the National Nuclear
Security Administration (NNSA) are co-located on the Savannah River Site (Site) in Aiken,
South Carolina. Their primary missions include environmental management and cleanup,
national security, energy independence, and nuclear material disposition. The prime
management and operating contractors for the Site manage over 800 subcontractors, whose
employees may be required to access the Site.
Security Administration (NNSA) are co-located on the Savannah River Site (Site) in Aiken,
South Carolina. Their primary missions include environmental management and cleanup,
national security, energy independence, and nuclear material disposition. The prime
management and operating contractors for the Site manage over 800 subcontractors, whose
employees may be required to access the Site.
The Department of Energy’s Savannah River Operations Office and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) are co-located on the Savannah River Site (Site) in Aiken, South Carolina. Their primary missions include environmental management a...
The Department of Energy reimburses its facility contractors for millions of dollars in settlement costs and for fees paid to outside law firms for legal research, litigation and consulting activities. Because of contract reform initiatives, the Department increased contractor financial responsibility for certain legal costs. For example, fines and penalties for violations of laws and regulations, which totaled almost $12 million over the five-year period of our review, were found to be unallowable and were not reimbursed by the Department. The Department specifically considers certain other costs to be unallowable, such as those for punitive damages or in cases where contractor management officials are found to have engaged in willful misconduct or have failed to exercise prudent business judgment. Legal costs may also be disallowed if they are not properly coordinated with Department officials.
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements at the Department of Energy's Office of Science Laboratories
Technology transfer, disseminating technology developed by the Department of Energy's laboratories to the general science community and the public, including non-Federal technology partners, and private firms, is one of the Department's top priorities. One of the ways in which this transfer is accomplished is through the use of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA), a method established under the 1986 Federal Technology Transfer Act. In 1989, the National Competitiveness Technology Transfer Act established the technology transfer concept as a Federal mission and authorized government-owned, contractor-operated laboratories to use CRADAs to facilitate the development of technology and transfer that technology to the private sector.
The Office of Science is responsible for managing CRADAs at ten national laboratories. The Department's CRADA Directive (DOE O 483.1) and Manual (DOE M 483.1-1) delegates the responsibility for evaluating the CRADA processes and measuring CRADA performance to Federal site offices located at each laboratory. The site offices are responsible for ensuring that the laboratories obtain a final report documenting the results of research and any new inventions or technology, and forward a copy of the report to the Department's Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI). Ultimately, OSTI is responsible not only for preserving the scientific and technical information generated through a CRADA but also making this information readily available to the scientific community and to the public.
The Office of Science is responsible for managing CRADAs at ten national laboratories. The Department's CRADA Directive (DOE O 483.1) and Manual (DOE M 483.1-1) delegates the responsibility for evaluating the CRADA processes and measuring CRADA performance to Federal site offices located at each laboratory. The site offices are responsible for ensuring that the laboratories obtain a final report documenting the results of research and any new inventions or technology, and forward a copy of the report to the Department's Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI). Ultimately, OSTI is responsible not only for preserving the scientific and technical information generated through a CRADA but also making this information readily available to the scientific community and to the public.
The Department of Energy's Management of Contractor Fines, Penalties and Legal Costs
Bonneville Power Administration's Acquisition of Transmission-Related Materials and Equipment
Bonneville Power Administration (Bonneville) is responsible for marketing, selling and transmitting power produced from the Federal Columbia River Power System. Bonneville manages a significant transmission infrastructure, including about 15,000 miles of transmission lines and 300 substations in eight states. To fulfill its mission, Bonneville acquires transmission-related materials and equipment including transformers, circuit breakers, and steel and wood poles. From October 2002 through May 2008, Bonneville made approximately 5,200 transmission-related acquisitions totaling over $162 million. Bonneville acquired these materials through various types of contracts, including fixed price contracts and indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts.