Department of Energy: Follow-Up Review of the National Ignition Facility

Authors: GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON DC

Abstract:

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, operated by the University of California under contract with the Department of Energy (DOE), is constructing the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Livermore, California. In this stadium-sized laser facility, DOE's goal is to simulate, in a laboratory setting, the thermonuclear conditions created in nuclear explosions. This will allow scientists to evaluate the behavior of nuclear weapons without explosive testing. DOE considers NIF an essential element of its multi-billion-dollar Stockpile Stewardship Program, which is responsible for ensuring the safety and reliability of nuclear weapons in the absence of nuclear testing. On August 8, 2000, we issued identical reports on NIF to the Subcommittee on Military Procurement, House Committee on Armed Services, and to the House Committee on Science. 1 These reports highlighted the reasons for NIF's cost and schedule overruns, the effects of cost and schedule problems on other weapons and science programs, and the effectiveness of the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory's actions to correct its project management problems.

Limitations:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE