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Nuclear Safety: Construction of the Protective Shelter for the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Faces Schedule Delays, Potential Cost Increases, and Technical Uncertainties

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine destroyed the reactor building and released massive amounts of radioactive contamination. A temporary shelter was built over the damaged reactor to prevent further contamination. The United States is a major donor to an international project to build a new shelter to replace the existing one, which is badly deteriorating. GAO was aske… more
Date: July 19, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Department of Homeland Security: Science and Technology Directorate's Expenditure Plan

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In recent years GAO and others have reported on problems in the financial management environment at the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). S&T was established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to, among other things, coordinate the federal government's civilian efforts to identify and develop countermeasures to emerging terrorist threats to our nation. A… more
Date: June 22, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Personnel: Improved Quality Controls Needed over Servicemembers' Employment Rights Claims at DOL

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) protects the employment and reemployment rights of federal and nonfederal employees who leave their employment to perform military service. The Department of Labor (DOL) investigates and attempts to resolve claims filed by servicemembers, and if not successful, DOL is to inform the federal claimants that they may request to h… more
Date: July 20, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Surface Transportation: Strategies Are Available for Making Existing Road Infrastructure Perform Better

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For the past several decades, the capacity of the nation's road network has not grown fast enough to keep pace with demand. The increasing congestion is apparent to millions of commuters and freight operators. Although road building is perhaps the most familiar antidote, Congress, the Department of Transportation (DOT), and transportation research have emphasized the need to more efficiently use the exi… more
Date: July 26, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Logistics: Army and Marine Corps Cannot Be Assured That Equipment Reset Strategies Will Sustain Equipment Availability While Meeting Ongoing Operational Requirements

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Congress has appropriated billions of dollars for equipment repair, replacement, and recapitalization, collectively known as equipment reset. Because of the potential for equipment reset costs to affect the Department of Defense's (DOD) future budget requirements and related readiness concerns, GAO initiated this review under the Comptroller General's authority. GAO's objectives were to determine the ex… more
Date: September 19, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Markets: Increasing Globalization of Petroleum Products Markets, Tightening Refining Demand and Supply Balance, and Other Trends Have Implications for U.S. Energy Supply, Prices, and Price Volatility

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To better understand how changes in domestic and international petroleum products markets have affected prices, GAO was asked to evaluate trends in (1) the international trade of petroleum products, (2) refining capacity and intensity of refining capacity use internationally and in the United States, (3) international and domestic crude oil and petroleum product inventories, and (4) domestic petroleum s… more
Date: December 20, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Additional Flexibility Needed to Deal with Farmlands Received from the Department of Agriculture

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Over the past two decades, provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, among others, have allowed the Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency in partnership with the Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to add farmlands found to have important resources to the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Farm Service Agency transferred such farmlands to the Service thro… more
Date: September 18, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Acquisitions: Status and Challenges of Joint Forces Command's Limited Acquisition Authority

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Over 3 years ago, Congress granted limited acquisition authority (LAA)--subject to delegation by the Secretary of Defense--to U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) for a 3-year period to expedite development and acquisition of certain warfighter equipment. Congress directed GAO to report on JFCOM LAA implementation. GAO's report, issued in November 2005, said JFCOM finished five LAA projects and was working… more
Date: April 12, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Port Risk Management: Additional Federal Guidance Would Aid Ports in Disaster Planning and Recovery

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "U.S ports are significant to the U.S. economy, handling more than 2 billion tons of domestic and import/export cargo annually. Since Sept. 11, 2001, much of the national focus on ports' preparedness has been on preventing potential acts of terror, the 2005 hurricane season renewed focus on how to protect ports from a diversity of threats, including natural disasters. This report was prepared under the a… more
Date: March 28, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Debt Management: Treasury Has Improved Short-Term Investment Programs, but Should Broaden Investments to Reduce Risks and Increase Return

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Growing debt and net interest costs are a result of persistent fiscal imbalances, which, if left unchecked, threaten to crowd out spending for other national priorities. The return on every federal dollar that the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) is able to invest represents an opportunity to reduce interest costs. This report (1) analyzes trends in Treasury's main receipts, expenditures, and cash … more
Date: September 20, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DOD Business Transformation: Lack of an Integrated Strategy Puts the Army's Asset Visibility System Investments at Risk

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) established a goal to achieve total asset visibility (TAV) over 30 years ago, but to date it has been unsuccessful. GAO was requested to (1) determine whether the Army has a systems strategy for achieving TAV, (2) determine if the Army's business system investment governance structure is consistent with DOD guidance, and (3) evaluate the Army's effort to correct previousl… more
Date: July 27, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Postal Service: Agencies Distribute Fund-raising Stamp Proceeds and Improve Reporting

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As required by Congress, the U.S. Postal Service (Service) has issued three fundraising stamps--also called semipostals--which are sold at a higher price than First-Class stamps, with the difference distributed to designated federal agencies for specific causes. The proceeds from the three stamps are to fund breast cancer research, assistance to families of emergency relief personnel killed or permanent… more
Date: October 30, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Acquisitions: Navy Faces Challenges Constructing the Aircraft Carrier Gerald R. Ford within Budget

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Navy is investing over $3 billion to develop technologies for a new type of aircraft carrier--the Ford class--and it expects to spend almost $11 billion to design and construct the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)--the lead ship of the class. New technologies are to improve the carrier's performance and reduce crew size. The Navy requested authorization of CVN 78 in its fiscal year 2008 budget. GAO was a… more
Date: August 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Critical Infrastructure Protection: Sector-Specific Plans' Coverage of Key Cyber Security Elements Varies

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The nation's critical infrastructure sectors--such as public health, energy, water, and transportation--rely on computerized information and systems to provide services to the public. To fulfill the requirement for a comprehensive plan, including cyber aspects, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a national plan in June 2006 for the sectors to use as a road map to enhance the protection of … more
Date: October 31, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Business Systems Modernization: Department of the Navy Needs to Establish Management Structure and Fully Define Policies and Procedures for Institutionally Managing Investments

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 1995, GAO first designated the Department of Defense's (DOD) business systems modernization program as "high-risk," and continues to do so today. In 2004, Congress passed legislation reflecting prior GAO recommendations that DOD adopt a corporate approach to information technology (IT) business systems investment management, including tiered accountability for business systems at the department and c… more
Date: October 31, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Security: Efforts to Strengthen International Passenger Prescreening are Under Way, but Planning and Implementation Issues Remain

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Passenger prescreening--a process that includes matching passengers' identifying information against records extracted from the U.S. government terrorist watch list--is one of several security measures in place to help ensure the safety of commercial flights traveling to or from the United States. DHS has several efforts underway to strengthen international aviation passenger prescreening. This report f… more
Date: May 16, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Securing Wastewater Facilities: Costs of Vulnerability Assessments, Risk Management Plans, and Alternative Disinfection Methods Vary Widely

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2006, GAO reported that many large wastewater facilities have responded to this risk by voluntarily conducting vulnerability assessments and converting from chlorine gas to other disinfection methods. The Clean Air Act requires all wastewater facilities that use threshold quantities of chlorine gas to prepare and implement risk management plans to prevent accidental releases and reduce the severity o… more
Date: March 30, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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2010 Census: Census Bureau Should Refine Recruiting and Hiring Efforts and Enhance Training of Temporary Field Staff

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The success of the 2010 Census depends, in part, upon the U.S. Census Bureau's (Bureau) ability to recruit, hire, and train over half a million temporary workers at peak. Under the Comptroller General's authority, GAO reviewed the extent that the Bureau's (1) recruiting and hiring processes for these staff are consistent with selected human capital principles and (2) training delivery and content take i… more
Date: April 27, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Wildland Fire Management: Better Information and a Systematic Process Could Improve Agencies' Approach to Allocating Fuel Reduction Funds and Selecting Projects

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Recognizing that millions of acres are at risk from wildland fire, the federal government expends substantial resources on thinning brush, trees, and other potentially hazardous fuels to reduce the fire risk to communities and the environment. However, questions have been raised about how the agencies responsible for wildland fire management--the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and the Depart… more
Date: September 28, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Pediatric Drug Research: Studies Conducted under Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "About two-thirds of drugs that are prescribed for children have not been studied and labeled for pediatric use, which places children at risk of being exposed to ineffective treatment or incorrect dosing. The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA), enacted in 2002, encourages the manufacturers, or sponsors, of drugs that still have marketing exclusivity--that is, are on-patent--to conduct pediatri… more
Date: March 22, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nuclear Nonproliferation: DOE's International Radiological Threat Reduction Program Needs to Focus Future Efforts on Securing the Highest Priority Radiological Sources

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, U.S. and international experts raised concerns that unsecured radiological sources were vulnerable to theft and posed a significant security threat to the United States and the international community. Radioactive material is encapsulated or sealed in metal to prevent its dispersal and is commonly called a sealed radiological source. Sealed radiolog… more
Date: January 31, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Financial Regulators: Agencies Have Implemented Key Performance Management Practices, but Opportunities for Improvement Exist

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Congress granted financial regulators flexibility to establish their own compensation systems and required certain agencies to seek to maintain comparability with each other in pay and benefits to help the agencies overcome impediments to recruiting and retaining employees and avoid competing for the same employees. In response to a request, this report reviews (1) how the performance-based pay systems … more
Date: June 18, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bankruptcy: Implementation of Reform Act's Debt Reaffirmation Agreement Provisions

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (referred to hereafter as the Reform Act) included provisions to better inform individuals who file for personal bankruptcy about their options for reaffirming debt--whereby filers may voluntarily agree to pay certain creditors in an effort to retain assets, such as an automobile. Reaffirmation agreements between debtors and creditors a… more
Date: December 7, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Long-Term Care Insurance: Partnership Programs Include Benefits That Protect Policyholders and Are Unlikely to Result in Medicaid Savings

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Partnership programs allow individuals who purchase Partnership long-term care insurance policies to exempt at least some of their personal assets from Medicaid eligibility requirements. In response to a congressional request, GAO examined (1) the benefits and premium requirements of Partnership policies as compared with those of traditional long-term care insurance policies; (2) the demographics of Par… more
Date: May 11, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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