Advancing Risk-Informed Decision Making in Managing Defense Nuclear Waste in the United States: Opportunities and...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Risk Assessment & Management
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• A 2014 spending bill mandated the Department of Energy (DOE) to evaluate its strategies for addressing environmental cleanup liabilities.
• DOE's remaining environmental cleanup responsibilities pose ongoing public health and safety risks.
• A committee was formed to assess the effectiveness of DOE's risk identification, programming, and execution processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the effectiveness of the Department of Energy's (DOE) methods for identifying, programming, and executing plans for environmental cleanup risks.
• To provide recommendations for DOE, federal agencies, Congress, states, and tribal nations regarding risk management.
• To identify disparities in risk management approaches and their impact on resource allocation.

Main Methods:

• A committee conducted a review of DOE's risk assessment and management processes.
• Risk assessment involved utilizing available data, expert experience, identifying data gaps, and incorporating stakeholder input.
• Risk management analysis focused on state-level variations in laws, priorities, land use, and technology.

Main Results:

• The committee identified two dozen issues and provided associated recommendations.
• A structured risk review process was described, enabling the ordering of risks based on available information.
• Significant variations exist in state-driven risk management, including differing laws, priorities, and policies, leading to marked cost differences.
• Resource allocation may not consistently align with the most prominent human health and safety risks from a national perspective.

Conclusions:

• State-level variations in environmental cleanup risk management create inconsistencies and impact resource allocation.
• DOE's risk management strategies need refinement to ensure national-level prioritization of public health and safety risks.
• Collaborative efforts among DOE, federal agencies, states, and tribal nations are crucial for effective environmental cleanup and risk mitigation.