NUCLEAR HEALTH AND SAFETY. DOE NEEDS TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION TO ENSURE SAFE TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
GAO was asked to determine whether the Department of Energy (DOE) is effectively self-regulating its transportation of high-level radioactive materials. To do this, GAO centered its work on the adequacy of DOE's actions to resolve previous safety concerns regarding non-weapons packages and the extent to which problems exist with DOE's certification of packages for transporting nuclear weapons materials. Two recent studies, one by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the other by a DOE contractor, found safety-related concerns with DOE-certified, non-weapons, Type B packages. One major DOE response was to remove certifying responsibility for many of these packages from its operations offices around the country and consolidate it in a headquarters office. DOE did this to help ensure that all applicable regulations are met and to remove the potential conflict between the operations offices' dual responsibilities for achieving program goals and certifying package safety. Another DOE response was to remove many of these packages from service. Both responses should improve DOE's management of its non-weapons packaging; however, GAO believes additional guidance is needed. GAO's review of documentation supporting Type B packages used in DOE's nuclear weapons program also disclosed a number of problems, some of which were similar to those found in the non-weapons package studies mentioned above. GAO is recommending actions by DOE to ensure that the nuclear weapons packages meet all applicable safety regulations and that potential conflicts of interest stemming from competing program demands are not involved in certifying these packages.
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Supplemental Notes:
- Report to the Chairman, Committee on Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate.
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Corporate Authors:
U.S. General Accounting Office
441 G Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20548 - Publication Date: 1988-9
Media Info
- Features: Appendices; Figures;
- Pagination: 51 p.
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Certification; Conflict of interest; Hazardous materials; Packaging; Radioactive materials; Safety and security; Transportation safety
- Subject Areas: Education and Training; Freight Transportation; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I10: Economics and Administration;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00478120
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: GAO/RCED-88-195
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Dec 31 1988 12:00AM