June 17, 2004

Before the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Statement of Gregory H. Friedman, Inspector General U.S. Department of Energy

Request to testify regarding recent allegations associated with occupational medical services and tank farm vapor exposures at the Hanford Site. During the Cold War, the United States’ nuclear weapons complex generated large amounts of hazardous and radioactive waste. The Department of Energy is responsible for the cleanup of numerous contaminated sites and facilities that supported nuclear weapons production activities. Associated with this is the need to protect the safety and health of the Department’s workforce and the citizens in the communities surrounding these cleanup sites. For several years, my office has identified environmental cleanup and worker and community safety as significant challenges facing the Department.