Followup audit of the cask development program
The Department of Energy is responsible for developing a system for the transportation and storage of spent nuclear fuel generated by utility companies. To carry out this responsibility, the Department of Energy established the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (Waste Management Office). The Waste Management office began development of a series of new shipping casks to transport the spent fuel. The purpose of this audit was to review the current development status of the cask designs; compare the original milestone dates to current milestone dates; and review the program funds that have been used to date on the development of these casks. The Office of Inspector General audited the cask development program in 1987. The audit report (DOE/IG-0244), recommended that program management establish minimum criteria that each cask must meet to qualify for further development funding. Our followup audit found that this recommendation had not been adequately implemented. As a result, the Waste Management office will spend an estimated $143 million on the cask development program and receive only two cask designs that were originally scheduled to cost $26 million. Moreover, it is not certain, at this time, whether those two cask designs will eventually receive the Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification. Historically, the program has experienced slippage in milestone dates and steady increases in total cost. Management generally agreed with our current recommendations to establish formal contingency plans to counter further delays, develop current baselines and schedules in sufficient detail to adequately control cask development schedules and costs, and reevaluate the current status of the casks under development for the purpose of justifying further development. Management has proposed actions to correct the milestone date slippages and continued growth in the total cost of the program.
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Office of Inspector General, Washington, DC (United States). Capital Regional Audit Office
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 10142379
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/IG--0345; ON: TI94009968; NC: NONE
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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