Beginning in the 1940's and continuing until the early 1960's, the Department of Energy's predecessor agencies were heavily involved in mining and milling vanadium and uranium in Monticello, Utah, for the weapons complex. Since these operations ceased, the Department's Grand Junction Projects Office has expended about $250 million to remediate and stabilise the Monticello Mill site. One of the final phases of the project was to restore the mill site. The restoration was to include placing a soil barrier to cover hot spots, grading to provide proper surface drainage and re-vegetating to minimize erosion.
Department's Process of Responding to a Congressional Information Request
Inspector General Semiannual Report to Congress, DOE/IG-0039
Iam pleased to provide the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Semiannual Report to
Congress for the reporting period April 1 to September 30, 2004. This report, issued in
accordance with the provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended,
highlights our accomplishments in identifying areas of Department of Energy (Department)
operations most vulnerable to waste, fraud, and mismanagement. Through our work, we strive
to help improve the Department’s performance,
promote economy and efficiency in its programs,
and return hard dollars to the Federal Government.
Congress for the reporting period April 1 to September 30, 2004. This report, issued in
accordance with the provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended,
highlights our accomplishments in identifying areas of Department of Energy (Department)
operations most vulnerable to waste, fraud, and mismanagement. Through our work, we strive
to help improve the Department’s performance,
promote economy and efficiency in its programs,
and return hard dollars to the Federal Government.
Property Disposals at the Yucca Mountain Project
Yucca Mountain is located on the western edge of the Navada Test Site, approximately 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. In 1977, the Department of Energy (Department) began studying Yucca Mountain to determine the possibly of constructing a geologic reposiory for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. In July 2002, the multi-billion dollor Yucca Mountain Project was designated to be the Nation's first facility for storing high-level nuclear waste.
Control and Accountability of Emergency Communication Network Equipment
The Department of Energy's Emergency Communication Network (ECN) is a high-speed, global, emergency communications network that supports the exchange of classified and unclassified voice, data, and video information for managing national emergencies, as well as emergencies involving the Department's facilities and operations. The ECN currently connects the Departments Headquarters to 28 sites, including other Federal agencies and the Russian Federation's Ministry of Atomic Energy in Moscow.
Audit Report on "Management Controls Over Title X Claims Reimbursement at the West Chicago Thorium Processing Facility
In 1992, Congress passed Title X of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Title X) which established the authority and framework for providing Federal assistance for the remediation of contamination at active uranium and thorium sites. Congress authorized the reimbursement of cleanup costs, on a cost-sharing basis, and has established a reimbursement limit of $365 million (plus inflation). Title X required the Department to administer all claims related to active uranium and thorium licensees. Federal regulation also provided the Department with claim approval authority and authorized it to obtain assurance as to the appropriateness for costs claimed by auditing documentation used to support claims for reimbursement.