Summary

Nuclear Security: Improvements Needed in DOE's Safeguards and Security Oversight

RCED-00-62  February 24, 2000

Full Report (PDF, 27 pages)   

The Department of Energy (DOE), which is in charge of the nation's nuclear weapons program, owns several facilities that carry out classified weapons research and related activities. This report evaluates DOE's safeguards and security oversight at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. GAO 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.

Subject Terms

Homeland security
Management information systems
Nuclear facility safety
Nuclear facility security
Nuclear weapons
Performance measures
Risk assessment
Safeguards
Safety standards
Terrorism
Root cause analysis
DOE Nuclear Weapons Program
DOE Safeguards and Security Program