Summary: During the past 50 years, the Energy Department's (DOE) nuclear weapons complex produced tens of thousands of nuclear weapons. A by-product of this effort was vast quantities of radioactive and other toxic substances, ranging from plutonium and cesium to mercury and lead, all of which pose potential health and safety threats to plant workers--more than 600,000 over the years--and to persons who have lived in neighboring communities. Protecting workers from exposure to radiation and hazardous materials continues to be a problem at DOE sites, and the cleanup program will expose workers to additional dangers. DOE needs a vigorous health and safety program that can accurately determine and minimize the need for improvement. Although DOE has tried to strengthen the Office of Environment, Safety, and Health, GAO's examination of a key program--the Health Surveillance Program--uncovered many problems. Moreover, concerns have been raised about the quality and reliability of DOE's data on worker exposure to hazardous substances.
