GAO tells DNFSB: NNSA project overruns and EM data/workforce gaps heighten infrastructure risk

GAO witnesses told the DNFSB hearing that federal asset‑management leading practices are established but inconsistently applied. David Maroney summarized the leading practices (formal plans, prioritization, quality data and continuous evaluation). Allison Baden (NNSA) said the agency has improved data and planning but faces major construction delays; she told the Board that, across a set of replacement projects, GAO found roughly $2 billion in cost growth and about a decade of schedule slips, which requires continued use and recapitalization of older facilities. Nathan Anderson (EM) highlighted that EM site data may understate true conditions, cited cases where corrective action and root‑cause practices were limited, and warned of workforce vulnerabilities (an 18% vacancy for 14 mission‑critical job series and large near‑term retirement eligibility).

GAO recommended that DOE improve use of predictive modeling where appropriate, better communicate funding needs to Congress and ensure fidelity to quality assurance and corrective action requirements. Board members pressed GAO on the studies and the sources of the figures; GAO pointed to recent GAO reviews and cataloged examples (Hanford, Savannah River, Y‑12/UPF) that informed their conclusions.

The GAO testimony framed concrete oversight priorities for DNFSB staff: verify condition and risk assessments, evaluate contractor accountability/contract terms that incentivize maintenance, and track programmatic impacts of major construction delays on recapitalization budgets.