Full Title: Nuclear Waste Cleanup: DOE Should Use Available Information to Measure the Effectiveness of Its Groundwater Efforts
Author(s): U.S. Government Accountability Office
Publisher(s): U.S. Government Accountability Office
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
EM is responsible for addressing hazardous and radioactive waste from nuclear weapons production and energy research at DOE sites. Contaminated groundwater at these sites poses threats to public health and the environment, making groundwater cleanup critical to EM’s mission.
GAO was asked to review EM’s groundwater cleanup efforts. This report examines (1) the groundwater cleanup requirements at selected EM sites; (2) the scope, cost, and schedule for groundwater cleanup; and (3) the extent to which EM measures groundwater cleanup progress.
GAO examined four sites selected to represent a variety of facility types at different stages of the cleanup process governed by different regulatory frameworks. GAO examined relevant laws and regulations and reviewed agency documents on groundwater cleanup. GAO interviewed officials from EM, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and state regulators.