About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

GAO-14-79R 1 (2013-10-25)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaahji0001 and id is 1 raw text is: G U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 October 25, 2013 Congressional Committees Nuclear Weapons: Information on Safety Concerns with the Uranium Processing Facility The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) site for conducting enriched uranium activities, producing uranium- related components for nuclear warheads and bombs, and processing nuclear fuel for the U.S. Navy.1 NNSA is a separately organized agency within the Department of Energy (DOE). According to NNSA, the Y-12 plant's current enriched uranium operations, which are conducted in four separate buildings, have key shortcomings including (1) an inefficient workflow; (2) continually rising operations and maintenance costs due to facility age; and (3) processes that could expose workers to radiological contamination, among other things. To address these issues, in 2004, NNSA decided to construct a new Uranium Processing Facility (UPF).2 According to NNSA, the UPF will * consist of a single, consolidated facility less than half the size of existing facilities; * reduce costs by using modern processing equipment; and * incorporate features to increase worker protection and environmental health and safety. The work carried out at several of DOE's defense nuclear facilities involves dangerous nuclear materials and hazardous chemicals.3 For example, the UPF will process highly enriched uranium as well as beryllium, a hazardous metal essential for nuclear operations. Contractors are responsible for safely designing, constructing, and operating DOE's defense nuclear facilities. DOE's oversight of how these facilities' safety systems are designed and operated is critical to ensuring the health and safety of workers, the public, and the environment.4 To assess 1NNSA owns the buildings, equipment, and the components produced at the Y-1 2 plant, but the site is operated under contract to NNSA by Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Y-1 2, LLC (B&W), a partnership of the Babcock & Wilcox Company and Bechtel Corporation. 2B&W is the contractor managing the UPF design and has subcontracted portions of the design work to four other contractors. 3DOE's defense nuclear facilities are located at 13 sites, including 7 NNSA sites. 4We have previously reported on challenges with DOE's safety oversight. See GAO, Hanford Waste Treatment Plant: DOE Needs to Take Action to Resolve Technical and Management Challenges, GAO-1 3-38 (Washington, D.C.: Dec. 19, 2012) and GAO, Modernizing the Nuclear Security Enterprise: Observations on DOE's and NNSA's Efforts to Enhance Oversight of Security, Safety, and Project and Contract Management, GAO-1 3-482T (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 13, 2013). GAO-1 4-79R Nuclear Weapons Page 1

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most