Audit of Recurring Acquisitions at the Chicago Operations Office
Reconfiguration of the Kansas City Plant
In 1994, the Department of Energy announced its intention to study options for
consolidating production operations throughout the complex. In response, the contractor
at the Kansas City Plant submitted a plan to significantly reduce the size of its operations.
In March 1997, the Department approved Kansas City's Stockpile Management
Restructuring Initiative (SMRI), currently estimated to cost $138 million. The
Department's approval was based on projected operational savings of $35.4 million per
year, generated by consolidating similar production processes and equipment, allowing
for a reduction in both the floor space and the workforce needed to achieve required
production levels. The Department began restructuring activities in September 1999 and
planned to complete the project by the end of September 2005.
As long time advocates of reducing the Department's footprint consistent with its
evolving mission, we initiated a review to determine if the Kansas City Plant's
restructuring initiative would achieve the intended results.
consolidating production operations throughout the complex. In response, the contractor
at the Kansas City Plant submitted a plan to significantly reduce the size of its operations.
In March 1997, the Department approved Kansas City's Stockpile Management
Restructuring Initiative (SMRI), currently estimated to cost $138 million. The
Department's approval was based on projected operational savings of $35.4 million per
year, generated by consolidating similar production processes and equipment, allowing
for a reduction in both the floor space and the workforce needed to achieve required
production levels. The Department began restructuring activities in September 1999 and
planned to complete the project by the end of September 2005.
As long time advocates of reducing the Department's footprint consistent with its
evolving mission, we initiated a review to determine if the Kansas City Plant's
restructuring initiative would achieve the intended results.
Oversight of Shock Sensitive Chemicals at the Department’s Ames Laboratory
Shock sensitive chemicals, which are used throughout the Department of Energy (DOE)
complex, have the potential to undergo a rapid reaction that can release relatively large amounts
of energy that may be violent enough to produce an explosive detonation. Therefore, properly
managing them is critical to ensuring the safety of personnel, as well as the protection of DOE
assets. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board reported that reactive
chemicals, which include shock sensitive chemicals, have become a significant safety problem.
According to the Board, between 1980 and 2002 there were 167 incidents nationally involving
these chemicals that resulted in 108 fatalities. Consequently, the Office of Inspector General
(OIG) conducted a review to determine the adequacy of management controls over shock
sensitive chemicals at the Ames Laboratory.œj
complex, have the potential to undergo a rapid reaction that can release relatively large amounts
of energy that may be violent enough to produce an explosive detonation. Therefore, properly
managing them is critical to ensuring the safety of personnel, as well as the protection of DOE
assets. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board reported that reactive
chemicals, which include shock sensitive chemicals, have become a significant safety problem.
According to the Board, between 1980 and 2002 there were 167 incidents nationally involving
these chemicals that resulted in 108 fatalities. Consequently, the Office of Inspector General
(OIG) conducted a review to determine the adequacy of management controls over shock
sensitive chemicals at the Ames Laboratory.œj
National Nuclear Security Administration's Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Evaluation Process
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) was established in March 2000 as
a semi-autonomous agency within the Department of Energy. At NNSA's inception,
management committed to implementing a Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and
Evaluation (PPBE) process, modeled on the system used by the Department of Defense.
A PPBE process uses short-term and long-term planning to define program requirements
and matches requirements with budgetary resources. NNSA's Administrator established
an overall objective that the PPBE process become the core management protocol for
NNSA.
a semi-autonomous agency within the Department of Energy. At NNSA's inception,
management committed to implementing a Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and
Evaluation (PPBE) process, modeled on the system used by the Department of Defense.
A PPBE process uses short-term and long-term planning to define program requirements
and matches requirements with budgetary resources. NNSA's Administrator established
an overall objective that the PPBE process become the core management protocol for
NNSA.
Disposal of Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), located near Carlsbad, New Mexico, is the
Department of Energy's underground repository for defense-generated Transuranic
(TRU) waste. TRU waste consists of items such as clothing, gloves, and tools
contaminated with small amounts of radioactive elements. Most TRU wastes can be
handled by workers using minimal specialized protective gear and is referred to as
"contact-handled" TRU. However, TRU wastes with a surface radiation dose rate greater
than 200 millirem per hour must be handled using remote devices and is referred to as
"remote-handled. 'I
Department of Energy's underground repository for defense-generated Transuranic
(TRU) waste. TRU waste consists of items such as clothing, gloves, and tools
contaminated with small amounts of radioactive elements. Most TRU wastes can be
handled by workers using minimal specialized protective gear and is referred to as
"contact-handled" TRU. However, TRU wastes with a surface radiation dose rate greater
than 200 millirem per hour must be handled using remote devices and is referred to as
"remote-handled. 'I
Disposal of the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site's Low-Level Mixed Waste