GAO and DOE Spar On Plant QA Issues

摘要

Many previously identified problems continue to plague the complex waste treatment plant being built to immobilize much of the 54 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste stored at the U.S. Energy Dept.'s Hanford site in Washington state, prompting government investigators to recommend stopping work on the $17-billion project, underway since 2002, when those problems recur. The U.S. Government Accountability Office also recommends that quality assurance (QA) officers be independent from management responsible for cost and schedule to avoid conflicts of interest.