Office of Inspector General audit report on waste treatment plans at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (Laboratory) stores nearly 65,000 cubic meters of waste generated on site or brought to the State of Idaho (Idaho) from Department of Energy (DOE) sites across the country since 1970. This represents approximately 62 percent of the stored waste that DOE plans to ship and permanently dispose of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. In December 1996, DOE met the first milestone by awarding a fixed-price contract to a private company to construct and operate the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Facility (Treatment Facility) -- nearly 6 months ahead of schedule. Because the Treatment Facility would not be available to meet the 3,100 cubic meter milestone by December 31, 2002, DOE decided to dispose of untreated waste using the characterization process that was in place in 1989, and adapting it to meet new characterization requirements. The purpose of the audit was to determine whether it is in the best interest of the Government to defer processing the 3,100 cubic meters of waste until the new Treatment Facility can do so. The analysis showed that waiting until the Treatment Facility can process the 3,100 cubic meters of waste would be more economic and reduce the environmental risks to Laboratory employees. Therefore, a compromise between DOE and Idaho officials allowing such a deferral would be in the best interest of the Government