September 29, 2016

Disposition of Excess Government Weapons, Explosives, and Protective Force Equipment at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Hanford Site

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore) is managed and operated by Lawrence Livermore National Security for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).  NNSA’s Livermore Field Office oversees contractor operations.  Livermore’s mission is to strengthen the security of the United States through the development and application of science and technology.  The Hanford Site (Hanford) is a Department cleanup site managed by the Office of Environmental Management (Environmental Management).  Richland Operations Office oversees the Hanford cleanup for Environmental Management.  Hanford’s mission of environmental cleanup involves managing the legacy of plutonium production for the nation’s defense program.  

Both Livermore and Hanford have armed Protective Forces because their missions require that they maintain sensitive property and high risk personal property, such as firearms, explosives, and equipment.  Both property types must be identified at acquisition and be controlled through disposition.  Livermore and Hanford must declare property that is no longer needed as excess property and reuse or dispose of it.  In September 2012, Livermore’s security level was downgraded to Special Nuclear Material (SNM) Category III due to the removal of Category I/II inventories of SNM.  This led to reducing Protective Force staff, as well as sensitive property/high risk personal property such as firearms and Protective Force equipment.  Hanford also had prior security changes.  

During our audit, nothing came to our attention to indicate that Hanford or Livermore had improperly disposed of its excess firearms, or that Hanford had improperly disposed of its explosives and Protective Force equipment.  We also noted that Livermore had not excessed any explosives.  However, according to Livermore officials, Livermore destroyed potentially usable Protective Force equipment based on economic decisions. 

Topic: Management & Administration