At the Weapons Complex Monitor Decisionmakers' Forum, attended by Rick McLeod of the SRSCRO during October 12-14, 2011, senior Department of Energy officials discussed their intent to shift more decision-making authority down to the Environmental Management's field offices. "My push will be to clarify and simplify the lines of authority in the EM organization so that the decision making ... process is done expeditiously," Under Secretary for Nuclear Security Tom D'Agostino said. "I hear too often that ... why does this decision have to go up? It takes headquarters X number of weeks and months to get something out. If you're out in the field, you're wondering what are those people doing back there." In separate remarks, acting Assistant EM Secretary Dave Huizenga said, "To be a productive team, we have to understand what our job is. That's part of my job for the next few months in EM is to sort out the headquarters and field relationships. We know that there needs to be a headquarters advocacy and support role, but it's just a question of striking the right balance there."

D'Agostino also stressed the benefits of having both EM and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) reporting to him. "I think it provides us a real opportunity to capitalize on lessons learned and expertise that exists across both organizations," he said. "I'm always amazed at the difficulty, at times, when you have two organizations within the same building how hard it is to work together. It still amazes me when I see that happen. But I'm always amazed when you have one person in charge of both sides, looking down both tracks, how you can make things happen very quickly."

DOE is looking to achieve several "near term wins" when it comes to the increased synergies between EM and NNSA. As an example, D'Agostino cited the Savannah River Site's H-Canyon chemical separations facility. "The EM program takes care of the H-Canyon [and] that capability. EM is the landlord responsible for Savannah River. Yet at the same time, our nonproliferation program in the NNSA is going to need some of that capability. And we recognize that left alone, previously, it would have been a bit of a challenge coordinating our programs across the line," D'Agostino said. "But we're looking very seriously, and I'm pushing hard, to make sure that this capability that exists at Savannah River is there for when the nonproliferation program needs it. So these are resources the nonproliferation program is authorized and appropriated to spend to take care of its mission capability, but it's going to also help preserve a key component and core capability on the EM side."

Quotes were provided by and reported in the October 17, 2011 issue of the Weapons Complex Monitor publication.