Federal Reports

BackgroundThis report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of Efficiency of Operations at the Atlanta Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) in Atlanta, GA. We conducted this audit to provide U.S. Postal Service management with timely information on operational risks at this P&DC. We judgmentally selected the Atlanta P&DC based on a review of clearance times; workhours, mail volume, and productivity; overall scanning performance; late, extra, and canceled trips; overtime and penalty overtime; and trailer utilization. The Atlanta P&DC is in the Southeast Division and processes letters, flats, and parcels. The Atlanta P&DC services multiple 3-digit ZIP Codes in urban and rural communities.

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the McDonough Main Post Office (MPO), McDonough, GA. The McDonough MPO is in the Georgia District of the Southern Area and services ZIP Codes 30252 and 30253. These ZIP Codes serve about 91,063 people in a predominantly urban area. We judgmentally selected the McDonough MPO based on the number of Stop-the-Clock scans occurring at the delivery unit, rather than at the customer’s point of delivery, and indicators for undelivered mail.

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Old National Station in Atlanta, GA. The Old National Station is in the Georgia District of the Southern Area and services ZIP Codes 30337 and 30349. These ZIP Codes serve about 78,238 people in a predominantly urban area. We judgmentally selected the Old National Station based on the number of Stop-the-Clock scans occurring at the delivery unit, rather than at the customer’s point of delivery, and indicators for undelivered mail.

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Stockbridge Main Post Office (MPO) in Stockbridge, GA. The Stockbridge MPO is in the Georgia District of the Southern Area and services ZIP Codes 30273 and 30281. These ZIP Codes serve about 80,403 people in a predominantly urban area. We judgmentally selected the Stockbridge MPO based on the number of Stop-the-Clock scans occurring at the delivery unit, rather than at the customer’s point of delivery, and indicators for undelivered mail.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) Care in the Community healthcare inspection program examines clinical and administrative processes associated with providing quality outpatient healthcare to veterans. This report provides a focused evaluation of Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 15 and its oversight of the quality of care delivered in community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) and through its community care referrals to non-VA providers. Although it is difficult to measure the value of well-delivered and coordinated care between VA and non-VA providers, the findings in this report may help VISN leaders identify vulnerable areas of community care that, if properly addressed, should improve healthcare quality for veterans.The OIG reviewed care coordination: congestive heart failure management; primary care and mental health (diagnostic evaluations following positive screenings for depression or alcohol misuse); quality of care (home dialysis care); and women’s health (mammography care and communication of results). The OIG issued three recommendations for improvement in one area, quality of care:• Ensuring an end-stage renal disease provider sees patients in the home dialysis program at least monthly, as evidenced by a progress note in the medical record by the responsible independent renal practitioner• Performing initial and annual home visits for patients accepted into the VISN 15 home dialysis program• Monitoring the quality of home dialysis contracted clinical services for patients receiving non-VA home dialysis services

This report includes EAC OIG’s independent assessment of the top management challenges facing EAC in fiscal year 2023.

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) awarded Alutiiq Logistics & Maintenance Services, LLC (ALMS) a firm-fixed-price indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract valued at $50,000,000, beginning in February 2020, to provide facility maintenance and support services at the Albuquerque Complex located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The contract requires ALMS to comply with all applicable Federal, state, and local environment, safety, and health regulations and standards, in addition to specific Department directives and reporting requirements, as identified under each individual task order.On October 26, 2021, the Department’s Office of Inspector General received nine allegations that ALMS failed to comply with contractual obligations regarding safety and health issues for several years. We initiated this inspection to determine the facts and circumstances regarding the alleged safety concerns at the NNSA Albuquerque Complex.We substantiated eight of the nine allegations that ALMS failed to comply with contractual obligations regarding safety and health issues. Specifically, we substantiated that ALMS: (1) did not have adequate emergency management plans; (2) did not have a compliant quality control plan; (3) did not know how to properly use the computerized maintenance management system program; (4) closed out work orders without completing required work; (5) did not hire qualified tradesmen; (6) did not have a safety manager; (7) had staff retention issues due to low wages; and (8) did not correct noncompliances found during the September 2020 NNSA Office of Worker Safety and Health Services site assist review. We did not substantiate the allegation that (9) ALMS was not completing forklift inspections and was falsifying inspection documents.These issues occurred because ALMS did not effectively manage its contract with NNSA. Specifically, ALMS hired unqualified personnel, including managers; did not fill vacant positions; and had ineffective support from Alutiiq, LLC corporate. Additionally, NNSA did not always hold ALMS accountable for meeting contract requirements.Management fully concurred with our findings and recommendations and provided corrective actions that are responsive to our recommendations.

Depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) is a byproduct of uranium enrichment at Department of Energy gaseous diffusion plants since World War II. Uranium enrichment, a process used to make fuel for nuclear power plants and for military applications, created a legacy of approximately 800,000 metric tons of DUF6 that was stored in about 67,000 steel cylinders at the Department’s gaseous diffusion plant sites Public Law 107-206, signed by the President in August 2002, requires that no later than 30 days after enactment, the Department must award a contract for the design, construction, and operation of DUF6 conversion facilities at the Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio, sites. Public Law 107-206 also stipulates that the contract require groundbreaking for construction to occur no later than July 31, 2004, at both sites. We initiated this audit to determine the Department’s progress in converting its DUF6 inventory.We found that the Department made limited progress in converting its DUF6 inventory into a more stable form for reuse, storage, or disposal. After encountering numerous problems with safely converting the DUF6 inventory, the Department revised its baseline in 2019 and estimated that it would then take an additional 18 years, until 2054, to convert the inventory. The Department revised its projected costs to convert the full inventory of DUF6 to around $11.7 billion, more than two and a half times its original estimate of $4.6 billion.In addition to COVID-19 impacts, delays in converting the DUF6 occurred, in part, due to inherent technical or mechanical flaws that resulted in numerous shutdowns of the plants. While the Department invested in plant modifications to address some of these flaws, it had not completed comprehensive studies of the plants’ inherent flaws and their realistic conversion capabilities.Management concurred with our finding and one recommendation, and its proposed corrective actions are consistent with our recommendation.