Office of the Inspector General Semiannual Report to Congress (NUREG-1415, Volume 30, No. 1)
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Publication Information
Date Published: October, 2016
Reporting Period: April 1, 2016 – September 30, 2016
Office of the Inspector General
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555
Availability Notice
A Message from the Inspector General
I am pleased to present this Semiannual Report to Congress on the activities and accomplishments of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) from April 1, 2016, to September 30, 2016.
Our work reflects the legislative mandate of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, which is to identify and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse through the conduct of audits and investigations relating to NRC programs and operations. In addition, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, provided that notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Inspector General of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is authorized in 2014 and subsequent years to exercise the same authorities with respect to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), as determined by the Inspector General of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as the Inspector General exercises under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) with respect to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
OIG carries out its mission through its Audits and Investigations Programs. The audits and investigations highlighted in this report demonstrate our commitment to ensuring integrity and efficiency in NRC’s and DNFSB’s programs and operations.
It was an active 6 months for my office in furtherance of its obligation to timely identify the most critical risks and vulnerabilities in NRC and DNFSB programs and operations to allow NRC and the DNFSB to take any necessary corrective action. The work highlighted in this report includes audits of NRC’s significant determination process for reactor safety, oversight of 10 CFR 50.59, "Changes, test and experiments," decommissioning funds program, reactor oversight process, and the technical assistance request process. In addition, this report includes audits of DNFSB’s process for developing, implementing and updating policy guidance, and oversight of nuclear facility design and construction projects.
During this semiannual reporting period, OIG issued 11 NRC and 3 DNFSB audit reports. As a result of this work, OIG identified vulnerabilities in, and made a number of recommendations to improve the effective and efficient operation of NRC’s safety, security, and corporate management programs and those of the DNFSB. OIG also opened 25 investigations, and completed 23 cases. Three of the open cases were referred to the Department of Justice, and 39 allegations were referred to NRC management for action.
NRC OIG remains committed to the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of NRC and DNFSB programs and operations, and our audits, investigations, and other activities highlighted in this report demonstrate this ongoing commitment. My staff continuously strives to maintain the highest possible standards of professionalism and quality in its audits and investigations. I would like to acknowledge our auditors, investigators, and support staff for their superior work and ongoing commitment to the mission of this office.
Finally, NRC OIG’s success would not be possible without the collaborative efforts between my staff and those of the NRC and DNFSB to address OIG findings and to timely implement recommended corrective actions. I wish to thank them for their dedication and support, and I look forward to their continued cooperation as we work together to ensure the integrity and efficiency of NRC and DNFSB operations.
Hubert T. Bell
Inspector General
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