Nuclear Waste Cleanup: Changes Needed to Ensure DOE Is Not Prematurely Excluding Less Expensive Options for Large Projects

What GAO Found GAO has previously found that the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) has not followed its standards for defining mission need for some large projects. A mission need statement documents DOE’s identification of a mission-related need and, according to DOE standards, should not identify a particular solution. This ensures that DOE does not limit potential solutions at the project initiation stage.