Sandia National Laboratories' Procurement Card Program provides employees with the
ability to procure low value, commercially available goods and services quickly and
easily. The program, which began in the mid-1990's, has grown from about 25
cardholders with purchases of about $500,000 to over 1,600 cardholders with purchases totaling about $55 million.
ability to procure low value, commercially available goods and services quickly and
easily. The program, which began in the mid-1990's, has grown from about 25
cardholders with purchases of about $500,000 to over 1,600 cardholders with purchases totaling about $55 million.
Synchrotron Radiation Light Sources at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
The Department of Energy's (Department) Office of Basic Energy Sciences maintains four
Synchrotron Radiation Light Source facilities designed to collect data on the structure of matter
on the atomic and molecular scale. The Department refers to these facilities as "user facilities"
because they are made available to a variety of private sector, commercial, and educational
research entities and are, as such, major instruments for enhancing the nation's science base. Our
audit focused on two of the four facilities, the Advanced Light Source, located at Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, located at the
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Both of these facilities generate and deliver soft x-ray and
vacuum ultra-violet light in the form of beams. Scientists at Berkeley and Stanford are allocated
beam time (shifts) to perform a variety of research.
There are two categories of users at Berkeley and Stanford, participating research teams and
independent investigators. Participating research teams submit proposals, assist in funding the
construction of beam lines, and receive a percentage of beam time (usually 75 percent) for a
period of three years. Independent investigators also submit proposals and receive beam time
based on the scientific merit of their proposals; however, because the independent investigators
provided no funding for the construction of beam lines, they were only awarded the time that
had not been allocated to participating teams.
Synchrotron Radiation Light Source facilities designed to collect data on the structure of matter
on the atomic and molecular scale. The Department refers to these facilities as "user facilities"
because they are made available to a variety of private sector, commercial, and educational
research entities and are, as such, major instruments for enhancing the nation's science base. Our
audit focused on two of the four facilities, the Advanced Light Source, located at Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, located at the
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Both of these facilities generate and deliver soft x-ray and
vacuum ultra-violet light in the form of beams. Scientists at Berkeley and Stanford are allocated
beam time (shifts) to perform a variety of research.
There are two categories of users at Berkeley and Stanford, participating research teams and
independent investigators. Participating research teams submit proposals, assist in funding the
construction of beam lines, and receive a percentage of beam time (usually 75 percent) for a
period of three years. Independent investigators also submit proposals and receive beam time
based on the scientific merit of their proposals; however, because the independent investigators
provided no funding for the construction of beam lines, they were only awarded the time that
had not been allocated to participating teams.
Security of Spent Nuclear Fuel at the West Valley Demonstration Project (U)
Environmental Management Performance Measures
As reported in its recent Performance and Accountability Report, the task of cleaning up
contaminated sites and disposing of radioactive waste is one the greatest challenges facing the
Department of Energy. The Department's effort, which is estimated to cost over $230 billion and
last for decades, includes remediation and disposal of large quantities of radioactive waste at 40
separate primary sites, and over 4,800 release sites.
contaminated sites and disposing of radioactive waste is one the greatest challenges facing the
Department of Energy. The Department's effort, which is estimated to cost over $230 billion and
last for decades, includes remediation and disposal of large quantities of radioactive waste at 40
separate primary sites, and over 4,800 release sites.
The Department of Energy's Tritium Extraction Facility
On March 19, 2002, you asked the Office of Inspector General to conduct an expedited review of
efforts to construct the Tritium Extraction Facility (TEF) at the Department of Energy's Savannah
River Site. Specifically, you expressed concerns about information you had received indicating
that the TEF may be over budget and behind schedule.
The Department is in the process of constructing the TEF at Savannah River as part of a process to
ensure that the United States has an adequate supply of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen
used in all of the Nation's nuclear weapons. When fully operational, the TEF will provide the
capability to extract gases containing tritium as part of the Commercial Light Water Reactor
Program. The current baseline for the project, established in 1999, provided that the TEF was to
be completed by February 2006 at a cost of $401 million, and that it was to produce 3 kilograms of
tritium per year. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is responsible for the
overall management of the TEF Project and an integrated team of Westinghouse Savannah River
Company and Bechtel Savannah River, Inc. personnel carries out day-to-day construction
management activities.
Consistent with your request, the objective of our audit was to determine whether the TEF Project
was within cost, schedule, and technical scope.
efforts to construct the Tritium Extraction Facility (TEF) at the Department of Energy's Savannah
River Site. Specifically, you expressed concerns about information you had received indicating
that the TEF may be over budget and behind schedule.
The Department is in the process of constructing the TEF at Savannah River as part of a process to
ensure that the United States has an adequate supply of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen
used in all of the Nation's nuclear weapons. When fully operational, the TEF will provide the
capability to extract gases containing tritium as part of the Commercial Light Water Reactor
Program. The current baseline for the project, established in 1999, provided that the TEF was to
be completed by February 2006 at a cost of $401 million, and that it was to produce 3 kilograms of
tritium per year. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is responsible for the
overall management of the TEF Project and an integrated team of Westinghouse Savannah River
Company and Bechtel Savannah River, Inc. personnel carries out day-to-day construction
management activities.
Consistent with your request, the objective of our audit was to determine whether the TEF Project
was within cost, schedule, and technical scope.
Privatization of Safety Management Services at the Savannah River Site
In January 1997, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, the management and operating
contractor at the Savannah River Site, submitted a privatization proposal requesting approval to
form a "spin-off" company to perform safety management services. The new company,
Westinghouse Safety Management Solutions, Incorporated (WSMS), would be a wholly owned
subsidiary of Westinghouse and would be largely comprised of Westinghouse personnel already
performing safety management services at the site. To justify the spin-off, the management and
operating contractor prepared a make-or-buy analysis indicating that by using WSMS the
Department would save at least $11.5 million over 5 years. The Department approved the
proposal and allowed Westinghouse to enter into a sole-source, cost-reimbursable agreement
with WSMS beginning in Fiscal Year 1998.
The objective of this audit was to determine whether the privatization of safety management
services at the Savannah River Site has reduced the Department's cost.
contractor at the Savannah River Site, submitted a privatization proposal requesting approval to
form a "spin-off" company to perform safety management services. The new company,
Westinghouse Safety Management Solutions, Incorporated (WSMS), would be a wholly owned
subsidiary of Westinghouse and would be largely comprised of Westinghouse personnel already
performing safety management services at the site. To justify the spin-off, the management and
operating contractor prepared a make-or-buy analysis indicating that by using WSMS the
Department would save at least $11.5 million over 5 years. The Department approved the
proposal and allowed Westinghouse to enter into a sole-source, cost-reimbursable agreement
with WSMS beginning in Fiscal Year 1998.
The objective of this audit was to determine whether the privatization of safety management
services at the Savannah River Site has reduced the Department's cost.