Groundwater Monitoring Activities at Department of Energy Facilities
As a result of activities associated with the production of defense-related nuclear materials, about 600 billion gallons of groundwater have been contaminated at Department of Energy (Department) facilities located throughout the United States. The majority of the contamination is located at the Hanford Reservation, Savannah River Site, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, and Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site. The contaminants include solvents, fuels, explosives, metals, and radioactive materials.
The Department's Management and Operating Contractor Make-or-Buy Program
In 1994, the Department of Energy's (Department) Contract Reform Team concluded that savings could accrue to the government if certain operating functions not essential to the Department's core mission were performed by outside contractors. Over the next several years, the Department initiated actions that required management and operating (M&O) contractors to identify, categorize, and evaluate all of their functions and prepare make-or-buy plans to obtain supplies and services on a least-cost basis subject to program specific make-or-buy criteria. The objective of this audit was to determine whether
the Department's M&O contractors (1) identified those functions for which make-or-buy opportunities existed and (2) performed cost-benefit analyses.
the Department's M&O contractors (1) identified those functions for which make-or-buy opportunities existed and (2) performed cost-benefit analyses.
Unclassified Computer Network Security at Selected Field Sites
Improving security for unclassified information systems is one of the top issues facing government organizations today. This issue developed as Federal agencies migrated from a closed architecture, limited-access, mainframe
environment to a web-based, client/server architecture, where literally the world may access government systems. The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) confirmed this reality in a series of reports to the Congress culminating
in the designation of information system security as a “new Government-wide high-risk area.”
environment to a web-based, client/server architecture, where literally the world may access government systems. The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) confirmed this reality in a series of reports to the Congress culminating
in the designation of information system security as a “new Government-wide high-risk area.”
In-Vitro Bioassay Services at Department of Energy Facilities
Federal regulations require that routine bioassay programs be established for workers likely to receive internal radiation doses. Bioassay programs determine kinds, quantities, or concentrations, and, in some cases, locations of radioactive material in the body. The Department of Energy's (Department) bioassay
programs consist of two parts. In-vivo (inside the body) measurements include activities like whole-body, lung, and thyroid counting. In-vitro (outside the body) monitoring, on the other hand, includes radiochemical analyses of workers’ urine and fecal samples. Our audit was limited to bioassay analyses of urine samples,
which represent 98 percent of all in-vitro analyses. In Fiscal Year (FY) 1999, the Department performed about 69,500 bioassay analyses at the 7 sites reviewed at an estimated cost of $7.7 million. The objective of this audit was to determine whether the Department's contractors obtained bioassay analyses at the lowest
prices available.
programs consist of two parts. In-vivo (inside the body) measurements include activities like whole-body, lung, and thyroid counting. In-vitro (outside the body) monitoring, on the other hand, includes radiochemical analyses of workers’ urine and fecal samples. Our audit was limited to bioassay analyses of urine samples,
which represent 98 percent of all in-vitro analyses. In Fiscal Year (FY) 1999, the Department performed about 69,500 bioassay analyses at the 7 sites reviewed at an estimated cost of $7.7 million. The objective of this audit was to determine whether the Department's contractors obtained bioassay analyses at the lowest
prices available.
Follow-up Audit of Program Administration by the Office of Science
The Office of Science (SC), formerly known as the Office of Energy
Research (ER), is responsible for approving and managing research projects funded at the Department’s national laboratories. The laboratories submit field proposals for research projects to the SC for funding consideration. The proposals are evaluated and selected for funding by SC program managers, with support from a peer review process. The program managers approve the tasks and provide work authorizations and other funding guidance to the laboratories after specific projects have been selected. In FY 1999, SC provided $1.7 billion to the laboratories for research projects.
Research (ER), is responsible for approving and managing research projects funded at the Department’s national laboratories. The laboratories submit field proposals for research projects to the SC for funding consideration. The proposals are evaluated and selected for funding by SC program managers, with support from a peer review process. The program managers approve the tasks and provide work authorizations and other funding guidance to the laboratories after specific projects have been selected. In FY 1999, SC provided $1.7 billion to the laboratories for research projects.