Nuclear Security: Improvements Needed in DOE's Safeguards and Security Oversight
Abstract
The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for the nation's nuclear weapons program and owns a number of facilities to carry out classified weapons-related activities. These facilities are operated for DOE by contractors who are responsible for protecting classified information, nuclear materials, nuclear weapons, and nuclear weapons components. DOE provides oversight over the contractor's safeguards and security program to ensure that protection is provided consistent with DOE's requirements and standards. Over the past few years, a number of reports and incidents have indicated that there are problems-including computer security and the control of foreign visitors-at DOE's facilities and laboratories. Over the years the laboratories have also been targets for espionage. To ensure that problems are identified and promptly resolved, The General accounting Office (GAO) was asked to evaluate DOE's activities for safeguards and security oversight at DOE's Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. DOE's Office of Independent Oversight and Performance Assurance and the Department's operations offices primarily conduct these activities. This report discusses (1) the monitoring and tracking of findings resulting from DOE's oversight activities; (2) the correction, validation, and closing of findings resulting from such activities; and (3) the consistency of various DOE assessments of the laboratories' safeguards and security programs. DOE's Office of Security and Emergency Operations-the safeguards and security policy organization within DOE's headquarters-maintains a centralized management information system to track and monitor safeguards and security findings and the related corrective actions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA375030
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office