Alleged Security and Safety Concerns at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
April 20, 2017
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April 20, 2017
Alleged Security and Safety Concerns at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the Department of Energy's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL operates in an open campus environment to encourage collaboration and the sharing of knowledge, and is co-located with a Federal site office managed by the Office of Science, which oversees its operations. Federal managers are responsible for ensuring that ORNL is adequately defended against actions that could result in destruction of Government property or endanger the health and safety of employees or the public. ORNL is also subject to additional security requirements because it is home to Building 3019, a facility that stores Special Nuclear Materials (SNM).
The Office of Inspector General received a complaint involving perceived security concerns at Building 3019 and safety and security concerns at a vehicle entry portal on the ORNL site. We initiated a review to determine the severity of these issues and whether Department management had taken or planned any necessary corrective actions.
We substantiated that some of the situations described by the complainant did exist, as alleged. We noted however, that these situations were aligned with procedures and strategies approved by cognizant managers, and Federal officials were aware of the practices employed at the site. After reviewing the results of our observations and testing, we concluded that the allegations were likely based on the complainant's interpretations of activities at Building 3019, which did not always benefit from a full understanding of the observed operations. During our review, we also identified other concerns related to vehicle searches at the site's entry portals and the secondary response force.
During our review, we identified other concerns related to vehicle searches at the entry portals and the secondary response force. While observing search procedures at ORNL's entry portal, we identified two instances where the search was not conducted in accordance with established requirements. A senior protective force official concurred with our conclusions and promptly issued clarification of procedures to be followed in such cases. Further, site officials developed official policy on this matter and agreed to coordinate with protective force management to prevent future occurrences.
The false and nuisance alarms at Building 3019 were due, in part, to the selection and configuration of alarm system components, but upgrades to the system were underway prior to our review and are expected to be completed by June 2017. Therefore, we are not making any recommendations, but we suggest that the ORNL Site Office Manager ensure these upgrades are completed to mitigate the possibility of alarms causing complacency among protective force personnel in the future.
Topic: National Security & Safety