Summary: The Defense Department's (DOD) identification of radiologically contaminated sites and their cleanup relies on data that often are outdated, inaccurate, and incomplete. The list of 420 low-level radioactive sites that DOD gave Congress in 1992 and 1993 was inaccurate because the services had double-counted some sites and not identified others. In addition, Defense Logistics Agency sites and former defense sites, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, were omitted. DOD monitoring of status at known sites was impeded because neither it nor the services recorded such basic data as the amount of radioactivity, and the data they did record were often inaccurate and outdated. DOD's database included only general categories of contaminants at sites, such as low-level radiation, but could not identify specific contaminants or quantities. For example, significant data on plutonium contamination at Johnston Island were omitted in both DOD and Air Force data. More specific information would better help identify the types of contamination that exist, the types of required cleanup, and potential risks associated with continued contamination and with cleanup efforts.
