September 30, 1999

Management of Unneeded Materials and Chemicals

For more than 50 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (Department) and its contractors operated large production facilities and laboratories that acquired and produced directly or as by-products enormous amounts of non-nuclear materials such as sodium, lead, chemicals, and scrap metal. However, a mission change resulting from the end of the Cold War called into question the need for continued stockpiling of these materials. In the past, the Department has conducted reviews that have identified inefficiencies and recommended improvements to the materials management function. The objective of this audit was to determine if the Department efficiently disposed of its unneeded materials.