Summary: High-risk vulnerabilities may be going undetected at Department of Energy (DOE) field facilities because of ineffective safeguards and security planning. Protection plans, many of which have been in the works for years, remain incomplete for a large number of DOE's sensitive facilities and most of its sites. Although DOE has cited various reasons--such as lack of staff or changes in mission--to explain the situation, GAO believes that the underlying problem is DOE's lack of commitment to the planning process. According to DOE officials, the agency's proposal to improve the process by requiring a new overall plan may actually further complicate the process. They believe that the modified planning process could further delay the safeguards and security plans because many plans now being prepared will have to be rewritten and because work required to develop vulnerability assessments will be increased. GAO agrees that implementation of the revised process could increase the amount of vulnerability assessment work, further delaying the completion of plans. In GAO's view, it is important for DOE to complete the remaining sensitive facility plans.
