[CPEO-MEF] RADIATION: GAO: "Naval Reactors’ Disposition Partnership on Track to Save Billions"

[Lenny Siegel <Lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Environmental Liabilities: Naval Reactors’ Disposition Partnership on Track to Save Billions

GAO-26-108056
May 7, 2026

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Naval Reactors (Naval Reactors) is responsible for cleaning up contamination at four DOE-owned sites impacted by its operations: one each in Idaho and Pennsylvania, and two in New York. Cleanup involves decontamination and decommissioning of excess facilities—including naval nuclear propulsion prototypes—and remediation of contaminated soil. Estimated costs for these cleanup activities are reported as federal environmental liabilities.

In 2019, Naval Reactors partnered with DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) to conduct large-scale decontamination and decommissioning on its behalf. Naval Reactors estimated its environmental liabilities for the inventory of work planned for completion under the partnership would be $5.8 billion in 2025 dollars. EM estimates it can complete the work for approximately $1 billion—a potential $4.8 billion in cost savings if all planned work is completed. Naval Reactors officials attribute the majority of these potential cost savings to EM’s nationwide network of experienced contractors.

Naval Reactors and EM initially established a target date of 2050 to complete all work under the partnership but recently accelerated the target date to 2035. Naval Reactors planning documents indicate potential funding shortfalls for EM work under this accelerated timeline, which could present challenges to completing all planned work by 2035. However, EM work completed to date indicates the partnership is on track to save billions, even if all planned work is not completed. Naval Reactors officials said the agency is prioritizing its remaining decontamination and decommissioning work to address its most contaminated assets first, thereby limiting exposure risk to the public and the environment.

For the full Highlights and a link to the full report, go to
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-108056

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Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)




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