SubOversight Examines Oversight Failures at DOE Sites
June 12, 2015
#SubOversight Examines Oversight Failures at DOE Sites
June 12, 2015
WASHINGTON, DC
– The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations, chaired by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), today held a hearing
on “Oversight Failures Behind the Radiological Incident at DOE’s Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant.” The hearing is part of the committee’s
longstanding efforts to improve safety at some of the nation’s most
critical nuclear sites.
In February 2014, a costly radiological incident and fire occurred at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. An Accident Investigation Board appointed by DOE to investigate the source of a radiological leak determined that direct and systemic failures at the Los Alamos National Laboratory – the source of the drum that eventually ruptured at WIPP – caused inappropriate mixing of organic kitty litter in radiological waste containers, which created a radioactive waste form.
The investigation board identified a series of oversight failures that enabled extensive process and operations errors at the WIPP site and at Los Alamos. Additionally, a recent report by the government’s nonpartisan watchdog found that DOE’s National Nuclear Safety Administration, which is responsible for Los Alamos, has been unable to implement a system that would provide adequate federal oversight of private contractors through the use of the Contractor Assurance Systems.
“WIPP has been shut down and the department has embarked on remediation, training, and rebuilding that will cost taxpayers an estimated $240 million just to restart limited operations next year. All told, it may ultimately cost more than $500 million before full operations are estimated to commence in 2018,” said Chairman Murphy.
For nearly two decades the subcommittee has been examining various management challenges facing the DOE complex involving contractor oversight. A recent report conducted by GAO and released by the committee provided a roadmap for what NNSA and DOE must to do improve. Allison B. Bawden, Acting Director of Natural Resources and the Environment at the Government Accountability Office confirmed that more work needs to be done, saying, “DOE’s management and oversight reform efforts have sought to address the conditions underlying safety and security failures, but recent events at WIPP show that more work is needed.”
Madelyn R. Creedon, Principal Deputy Administrator at the National Nuclear Security Administration, admitted that the radiological release that occurred at WIPP was, “Determined to have been avoidable, will be costly to fix, and has left us without a transuranic (TRU) waste repository for an indeterminate period of time.”
Testimony from Mark Whitney, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management at the U.S. Department of Energy, paralleled Deputy Administrator Creedon’s assessment: “Based upon evidence obtained during this accident investigation, the AIB concluded the release from the drum was preventable.”
Chairman Murphy stressed the importance of continued subcommittee vigilance and work to ensure an effective oversight system can be developed. “We recognize that these problems have gone on for too long, we want to continue to work with you and we’d like to have further hearings on this in the future.”
In February 2014, a costly radiological incident and fire occurred at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. An Accident Investigation Board appointed by DOE to investigate the source of a radiological leak determined that direct and systemic failures at the Los Alamos National Laboratory – the source of the drum that eventually ruptured at WIPP – caused inappropriate mixing of organic kitty litter in radiological waste containers, which created a radioactive waste form.
The investigation board identified a series of oversight failures that enabled extensive process and operations errors at the WIPP site and at Los Alamos. Additionally, a recent report by the government’s nonpartisan watchdog found that DOE’s National Nuclear Safety Administration, which is responsible for Los Alamos, has been unable to implement a system that would provide adequate federal oversight of private contractors through the use of the Contractor Assurance Systems.
“WIPP has been shut down and the department has embarked on remediation, training, and rebuilding that will cost taxpayers an estimated $240 million just to restart limited operations next year. All told, it may ultimately cost more than $500 million before full operations are estimated to commence in 2018,” said Chairman Murphy.
For nearly two decades the subcommittee has been examining various management challenges facing the DOE complex involving contractor oversight. A recent report conducted by GAO and released by the committee provided a roadmap for what NNSA and DOE must to do improve. Allison B. Bawden, Acting Director of Natural Resources and the Environment at the Government Accountability Office confirmed that more work needs to be done, saying, “DOE’s management and oversight reform efforts have sought to address the conditions underlying safety and security failures, but recent events at WIPP show that more work is needed.”
Madelyn R. Creedon, Principal Deputy Administrator at the National Nuclear Security Administration, admitted that the radiological release that occurred at WIPP was, “Determined to have been avoidable, will be costly to fix, and has left us without a transuranic (TRU) waste repository for an indeterminate period of time.”
Testimony from Mark Whitney, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management at the U.S. Department of Energy, paralleled Deputy Administrator Creedon’s assessment: “Based upon evidence obtained during this accident investigation, the AIB concluded the release from the drum was preventable.”
Chairman Murphy stressed the importance of continued subcommittee vigilance and work to ensure an effective oversight system can be developed. “We recognize that these problems have gone on for too long, we want to continue to work with you and we’d like to have further hearings on this in the future.”
#SubOversight Examines Oversight Failures at DOE Sites
June 12, 2015
WASHINGTON, DC
– The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations, chaired by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), today held a hearing
on “Oversight Failures Behind the Radiological Incident at DOE’s Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant.” The hearing is part of the committee’s
longstanding efforts to improve safety at some of the nation’s most
critical nuclear sites.
In February 2014, a costly radiological incident and fire occurred at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. An Accident Investigation Board appointed by DOE to investigate the source of a radiological leak determined that direct and systemic failures at the Los Alamos National Laboratory – the source of the drum that eventually ruptured at WIPP – caused inappropriate mixing of organic kitty litter in radiological waste containers, which created a radioactive waste form.
The investigation board identified a series of oversight failures that enabled extensive process and operations errors at the WIPP site and at Los Alamos. Additionally, a recent report by the government’s nonpartisan watchdog found that DOE’s National Nuclear Safety Administration, which is responsible for Los Alamos, has been unable to implement a system that would provide adequate federal oversight of private contractors through the use of the Contractor Assurance Systems.
“WIPP has been shut down and the department has embarked on remediation, training, and rebuilding that will cost taxpayers an estimated $240 million just to restart limited operations next year. All told, it may ultimately cost more than $500 million before full operations are estimated to commence in 2018,” said Chairman Murphy.
For nearly two decades the subcommittee has been examining various management challenges facing the DOE complex involving contractor oversight. A recent report conducted by GAO and released by the committee provided a roadmap for what NNSA and DOE must to do improve. Allison B. Bawden, Acting Director of Natural Resources and the Environment at the Government Accountability Office confirmed that more work needs to be done, saying, “DOE’s management and oversight reform efforts have sought to address the conditions underlying safety and security failures, but recent events at WIPP show that more work is needed.”
Madelyn R. Creedon, Principal Deputy Administrator at the National Nuclear Security Administration, admitted that the radiological release that occurred at WIPP was, “Determined to have been avoidable, will be costly to fix, and has left us without a transuranic (TRU) waste repository for an indeterminate period of time.”
Testimony from Mark Whitney, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management at the U.S. Department of Energy, paralleled Deputy Administrator Creedon’s assessment: “Based upon evidence obtained during this accident investigation, the AIB concluded the release from the drum was preventable.”
Chairman Murphy stressed the importance of continued subcommittee vigilance and work to ensure an effective oversight system can be developed. “We recognize that these problems have gone on for too long, we want to continue to work with you and we’d like to have further hearings on this in the future.”
In February 2014, a costly radiological incident and fire occurred at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. An Accident Investigation Board appointed by DOE to investigate the source of a radiological leak determined that direct and systemic failures at the Los Alamos National Laboratory – the source of the drum that eventually ruptured at WIPP – caused inappropriate mixing of organic kitty litter in radiological waste containers, which created a radioactive waste form.
The investigation board identified a series of oversight failures that enabled extensive process and operations errors at the WIPP site and at Los Alamos. Additionally, a recent report by the government’s nonpartisan watchdog found that DOE’s National Nuclear Safety Administration, which is responsible for Los Alamos, has been unable to implement a system that would provide adequate federal oversight of private contractors through the use of the Contractor Assurance Systems.
“WIPP has been shut down and the department has embarked on remediation, training, and rebuilding that will cost taxpayers an estimated $240 million just to restart limited operations next year. All told, it may ultimately cost more than $500 million before full operations are estimated to commence in 2018,” said Chairman Murphy.
For nearly two decades the subcommittee has been examining various management challenges facing the DOE complex involving contractor oversight. A recent report conducted by GAO and released by the committee provided a roadmap for what NNSA and DOE must to do improve. Allison B. Bawden, Acting Director of Natural Resources and the Environment at the Government Accountability Office confirmed that more work needs to be done, saying, “DOE’s management and oversight reform efforts have sought to address the conditions underlying safety and security failures, but recent events at WIPP show that more work is needed.”
Madelyn R. Creedon, Principal Deputy Administrator at the National Nuclear Security Administration, admitted that the radiological release that occurred at WIPP was, “Determined to have been avoidable, will be costly to fix, and has left us without a transuranic (TRU) waste repository for an indeterminate period of time.”
Testimony from Mark Whitney, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management at the U.S. Department of Energy, paralleled Deputy Administrator Creedon’s assessment: “Based upon evidence obtained during this accident investigation, the AIB concluded the release from the drum was preventable.”
Chairman Murphy stressed the importance of continued subcommittee vigilance and work to ensure an effective oversight system can be developed. “We recognize that these problems have gone on for too long, we want to continue to work with you and we’d like to have further hearings on this in the future.”
http://energycommerce.house.gov/press-release/suboversight-examines-oversight-failures-doe-sites
No comments:
Post a Comment