Energy Management

To help clean up and restore its contaminated sites in compliance with federal and state environmental laws, the Energy Department (DOE) established the Office of Environmental Management. Since 1989, the Office has spent $34 billion on cleanups, but schedules have slipped and progress has been slow. The Office projected in 1995 that the cleanups could take another 75 years to complete at an additional cost of up to $350 billion. According to Office estimates, innovative cleanup technologies could reduce total cleanup costs by as much as $80 billion. The Office began a major reorganization last year to improve the coordination and management of the technology development program by creating five "focus areas." Yet concerns persist that management weaknesses are undermining progress in environmental cleanup. This report discusses whether the Office is managing its technology development program to prevent (1) unnecessary duplication and overlap and (2) an unwarranted concentration of projects at some field offices.

GAO found that: (1) EM has not coordinated its technology development activities among its program offices; (2) there is no comprehensive listing of EM technology development projects; (3) several DOE offices have funded 60 different melter projects at various locations; (4) there is a significant increase in technology development projects at certain field sites designated as lead sites for particular focus areas; (5) DOE does not use independent reviewers to ensure that project proposals receive equal treatment; (6) DOE has scheduled a comprehensive review of all technology development projects, combined two focus areas into one, and begun closing out melter projects to reduce duplication and overlap; and (7) DOE can not coordinate technology development projects without EM leadership and support.