Watchdog is concerned about US nuclear repository projects

The results of a federal watchdog report, made public Tuesday, show that.

The Government Accountability Office highlighted the concerns in its Report. It noted that the U.S. Energy Department was not required to create a plan of corrective action for the root causes of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's problems in southern New Mexico.

After a 2014 radiation leak that caused the repository to close for almost three years, a multimillion-dollar ventilation project at the underground facility is under way. It will install a new ventilation system in order to reopen its operations.

Because of contamination in some areas, and reduced airflow, operations had to be halted after the facility reopened.

Federal officials claim that the project will allow the Energy Department to dispose of tons of Cold War-era debris left over from decades of nuclear research and bomb making.

The Government Accountability Office report said that the Energy Department is facing regulatory and construction risks that could delay its plans.

According to Energy Department documents the ventilation project was estimated to cost $486 million as of last fall. This is nearly 70% more than initially planned. It is also three years behind schedule and has a new completion date of January 2026.

The Energy Department blamed the delays and cost overruns on the contractor's inexperience. They also blamed the difficulties in recruiting workers to the vast desert, which is also home one of the largest oilfields in the country.

Although some corrective actions were taken, officials from the department told the Government Accountability Office they had not updated their internal system to track risks or mitigation measures.

Energy Department officials could not meet their waste disposal schedule without the updates, according to the accountability office's report.

It was reiterated that the repository is running out of space for waste, and that the Energy Department still has large amounts of "transuranic" waste -- typically consisting of rubber gloves, lab coats, and tools contaminated with plutonium -- at various sites across the country.

The repository was created from an ancient salt formation, about a half mile (0.8 km) below the surface. It was intended that the shifting salt would eventually contain radioactive waste.

Its current footprint contains eight panels. The Energy Department predicts that these panels will be filled by 2025. The report stated that there are plans to build two additional panels, but it is not clear if the new space will be available in time to prevent any disruptions in disposal operations.

New Mexico regulators have not yet approved permit changes or other requests from Energy Department. It's also unclear how long this will take.

Responding to the report, Department officials agreed to the recommendations to address the root causes of cost increases and delays in construction. This will ensure that "DOE projects benefit taxpayers while reducing risk to human health or the environment."

The Energy Department has been criticized by nuclear watchdog groups. Concerns have been raised about the future of the repository by critics citing an increase in defense-related trash that will need to be disposed off as production at Los Alamos National Laboratory (New Mexico) and Savannah River Site (South Carolina) ramp up.