Inspector General Semiannual Report to Congress, October 1, 2004 – March 31, 2005
Review of the Department's Controls over Services Acquired through Memoranda of Agreement with Other Federal Agencies and Blanket Purchase Agreements
Audit of the Spallation Neutron Source Project
Fast Flux Test Reactor: Re-evaluation of the Department’s Approach to Deactivation, Decontamination, and Decommissioning
In 2002, the Department decided to permanetly shutdown the Hanford Site Fast Flux Test Facility, FFTF. Since the FFTF was the last sodium-cooled reactor remaining in the United States, the decision involved significant debate within and outside the Department and a series of reviews going back to the early 1990s. The shutdown, as directed by the Department, will encompass three activites- deactivation, decontamination and decommissioning.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2000 provides that beginning in the year 2000 and ending in
the year 2007, the President shall annually submit to Congress a
report by the Inspectors General of, at a minimum, the
Departments of Energy (Energy), Commerce (Commerce),
Defense (Defense), and State (State) of the policies and procedures
of the United States Government with respect to the export of
technologies and technical information with potential military
application to countries and entities of concern. The NDAA for
FY 2001 also requires the Inspectors General to include in each
annual report the status of the implementation or disposition of
recommendations that were set forth in previous annual reports.Kx
the year 2007, the President shall annually submit to Congress a
report by the Inspectors General of, at a minimum, the
Departments of Energy (Energy), Commerce (Commerce),
Defense (Defense), and State (State) of the policies and procedures
of the United States Government with respect to the export of
technologies and technical information with potential military
application to countries and entities of concern. The NDAA for
FY 2001 also requires the Inspectors General to include in each
annual report the status of the implementation or disposition of
recommendations that were set forth in previous annual reports.Kx
Concerns Regarding a Non-Viable (Dead)“Anthrax Spore” Research Project at theOak Ridge National Laboratory
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) received an anonymous
complaint involving an “anthrax” (Bacillus anthracis, Ames strain)
spore research project at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak
Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Specifically, it was alleged
that:
• A former ORNL employee who returned to ORNL as a Guest
Researcher used a specific laboratory and its equipment
without authorization to conduct research on anthrax spores;
and,
• The research with anthrax spores created a safety concern
because the Guest Researcher used the same equipment as
other laboratory workers.nt/4
complaint involving an “anthrax” (Bacillus anthracis, Ames strain)
spore research project at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak
Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Specifically, it was alleged
that:
• A former ORNL employee who returned to ORNL as a Guest
Researcher used a specific laboratory and its equipment
without authorization to conduct research on anthrax spores;
and,
• The research with anthrax spores created a safety concern
because the Guest Researcher used the same equipment as
other laboratory workers.nt/4
Review of Possible Inappropriate Job Solicitation
The Department’s Pollution Prevention Program