Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Construction Challenges Highlight the Need for DOE to Address Root Causes
Fast Facts
The Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is the nation's only facility for disposal of certain defense-related nuclear waste. Its operations were reduced after accidents in 2014. Improved ventilation would allow full operations but construction of a new ventilation system has run into major cost increases and delays.
DOE identified the primary root causes of these problems as contractor inexperience and staffing challenges. DOE has taken some corrective actions but doesn't have a plan for addressing root causes or a process for determining if they've been addressed. Our recommendations address these issues.
Construction of DOE’s New Ventilation System at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, New Mexico
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), near Carlsbad, New Mexico, is the nation's only facility for disposal of certain defense-related nuclear waste. The Department of Energy (DOE) identified two root causes for cost increases and schedule delays in its project to install a new ventilation system at WIPP (see figure). The facility is currently operating at a reduced capacity because of ventilation issues in the underground waste disposal areas. The root causes DOE identified were (1) its contractor's inexperience managing construction projects and (2) an inability to incentivize staff to work in Carlsbad. DOE also identified more specific problems with this ventilation project, and has taken corrective actions to address them. While some of these corrective actions may also help to address the root causes, the extent to which these actions will do so is unclear because DOE is not required to develop a corrective action plan for addressing the root causes and does not have a process to determine whether root causes have been sufficiently addressed. Without such a plan and process, DOE cannot ensure that root causes it identifies for cost increases and schedule delays in the WIPP ventilation project or other projects will not persist or recur.
The Department of Energy's (DOE) Ventilation System Project at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico
DOE's construction project to improve the ventilation system is part of its plans to ensure that WIPP can meet DOE's anticipated needs for waste disposal. However, the department faces construction and regulatory risks that might delay its plans. For example, DOE may not be able to finish construction and start operating the ventilation system on time. In addition, DOE may not receive needed approvals from the state regulator and the Environmental Protection Agency if, for example, the department does not provide requested information on time. Department officials told GAO that DOE has not updated recently its WIPP risk register, which helps track risks and plan mitigation measures. Department guidance states that it should periodically evaluate and include emerging risks and mitigation strategies in the risk register because this information is used to update the schedule. Without these updates, DOE may not have an achievable WIPP schedule, which could in turn create shipping delays and cost increases for the sites that are generating the waste.
Why GAO Did This Study
DOE suspended operations at WIPP after two accidents in 2014 and resumed on a limited scale in 2017. In response to the accidents, DOE has a construction project to improve WIPP's underground ventilation and allow full disposal operations to resume. However, DOE has encountered cost increases and schedule delays with the ventilation project.
The conference report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 included a provision for GAO to report on the operational status and a construction project at WIPP. This report examines (1) the extent to which DOE identified and addressed root causes for the ventilation system project's cost increases and schedule delays, and (2) DOE's plans to ensure WIPP can meet anticipated disposal needs, and what risks DOE may face.
GAO reviewed documents related to root causes and changes in project cost and schedule estimates, and interviewed DOE and contractor officials.
Recommendations
GAO is making four recommendations, including that DOE require a corrective action plan and a process to determine whether root causes have been sufficiently addressed, as well as update the WIPP risk register. DOE agreed with all four recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should ensure that the Director of the Office of Project Management assess the extent to which all corrective actions taken in response to various SSCVS project reviews have addressed the root causes and significant contributing factors identified in the root cause analysis and determine whether there is reasonable assurance that the root causes will not persist. (Recommendation 1) |
DOE has taken some actions to start addressing this recommendation. In October 2022, DOE's Office of Project Management published a project peer review of WIPP's SSCVS project which assessed the effectiveness of all corrective actions taken and conducted the root cause analysis. While these actions were helpful, the project review concluded there is not reasonable assurance that these root causes will not persist. Unless DOE identifies corrective actions that address the root causes, WIPP's SSCVS project will continue to be at risk of exceeding its approved budget. As a result, as of February 2023, we will keep this recommendation open and will continue to monitor its implementation.
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| Department of Energy |
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of Energy should ensure that the Director of the Office of Project Management update Order 413.3B to require that program offices develop corrective action plans that will address root causes. (Recommendation 2) |
In August 2022, the Deputy Secretary of Energy signed a policy memo applying to all projects in DOE subject to the Project Management Order 413.3B. This memo requires that any project doing a root cause analysis after a baseline change to develop a corrective action plan. Further, the memo indicates that this change will be included in the next official update of DOE Order 413.3B.
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| Department of Energy |
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of Energy should ensure that the Director of the Office of Project Management update Order 413.3B to require that the Office of Project Management assess and validate the extent to which the program office has taken corrective actions to address root causes identified during the baseline change process. (Recommendation 3) |
In August 2022, the Deputy Secretary of Energy signed a policy memo applying to all projects in DOE subject to the Project Management Order 413.3B. This memo requires DOE's office of Project Management to assess and validate the extent to which the corrective actions resolve the root causes. Further, the memo indicates that this change will be included in the next official update of DOE Order 413.3B.
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| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should ensure that the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management update the risk register for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant to include specific regulatory, construction, and other risks, together with adequate mitigation strategies. (Recommendation 4) |
DOE updated the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Risk Register in December 2023. We are currently evaluating these updates to ensure regulatory, construction, and other risks are included, along with appropriate mitigation strategies.
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