Office of the Inspector General Semiannual Report to Congress (NUREG-1415, Volume 28, No. 2)

Contents

• Publication Information
• A Message from the Inspector General

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• NUREG-1415, Volume 28, No. 2 (PDF - 7.20 MB)

Publication Information

Date Published: April 2015
Reporting Period: October 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015

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 October 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015.

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 (Board), 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. 3) with respect to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

NRC 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 our obligation to identify the most critical risks and vulnerabilities in NRC and Board programs and operations in a timely manner to allow NRC and the Board to take any necessary corrective action. The work highlighted in this report includes audits of NRC's information technology procurement process, NRC's information quality with respect to its scientific research program, NRC's oversight of spent fuel pools, and the agency's Task Interface Agreement process. In addition, the work highlighted in this report includes an audit of the Board's compliance with the requirements of the Government in the Sunshine Act.

During this semiannual reporting period, we issued 12 NRC and 4 Board 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 Board. OIG also opened 26 investigations, and completed 14 cases. One of the open cases was referred to the Department of Justice, and 25 allegations were referred to management for action.

NRC OIG remains committed to the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of NRC and Board 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 the Board 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 Board operations.

Hubert T. Bell
Inspector General