Report to Congress on Reassessment of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program

The success of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program of the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) is critical to U.S. ability to manage and dispose of
nuclear waste safely--and to the reestablishment of confidence in the nuclear energy
option in the United States. The program must conform with all applicable standards
and, in fact, set the example for a national policy on the safe disposal of radioactive
waste.
The Secretary of Energy has recently completed an extensive review of the
Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program and concluded that it cannot be
effectively executed in its current form. In response to Congressional concerns about
schedule slips, management structure, and contractor efforts in the program, this report
describes the results of that review and outlines actions the Secretary has taken and
will take in the near future to restructure the program in order to get it moving
forward again.
An important underlying premise of these Secretarial actions is that the program
and supporting activities have a sound scientific basis. The intent is to develop and
follow a solid, integrated plan based on a realistic assessment of the current situation.