Drilling operations at the Nevada Test Site
The Nevada Operations Office (NV) is responsible for supporting the nuclear test programs of the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. This support includes the drilling of test holes for nuclear device testing a the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The purpose of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Energy's management of test hole inventories at the NTS. Our audit disclosed that NV accumulated a large inventory of unused test holes and approved drilling additional holes for which neither laboratory (Los Alamos nor Livermore) had identified a need. The overdrilling of test holes occurred because NV did not comply with good inventory practices that would have had NV's approving official question the need for, and the timing of, the laboratories' drilling requests. Instead, NV gave perfunctory approval to the laboratories' work orders for drilling test holes, and emphasized keeping two drill rig crews busy and satisfying the laboratories' demands for dedicated drilling personnel. Although NV did not agree that overdrilling had occurred, it has cut back its drilling activities and estimated that this will save abut $7.6 million annually. NV agreed with the recommendations in the report and has taken corrective actions.
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Office of Inspector General, Albuquerque, NM (USA). Western Regional Office
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/AD
- OSTI ID:
- 6179809
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/IG-0285; ON: TI91004620
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Report to The Secretary
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BOREHOLES
INVENTORIES
NEVADA TEST SITE
AUDITS
DRILLING
MANAGEMENT
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS
US DOE INSPECTOR GENERAL
CAVITIES
EXPLOSIONS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
450200* - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives