This report documents the results of the environmental management assessment of the National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research (NIPER), located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The assessment was conducted August 15-26, 1994, by the DOE Office of Environmental Audit (EH-24), located within the Office of Environment, Safety and Health. The assessment included reviews of documents and reports, as well as inspections and observations of selected facilities and operations. Further, the team conducted interviews with management and staff from the Bartlesville Project Office (BPO), the Office of Fossil Energy (FE), the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC), state and local regulatory agencies, and BDM Oklahoma (BDM-OK), which is the management and operating (M&O) contractor for NIPER. Because of the transition from a cooperative agreement to an M&O contract in January 1994, the scope of the assessment was to evaluate (1) the effectiveness of BDM-OK management systems being developed and BPO systems in place and under development to address environmental requirements; (2) the status of compliance with DOE Orders, guidance, and directives; and (3) conformance with accepted industry management practices. An environmental management assessment was deemed appropriate at this time in order to identify any systems modifications that would provide enhanced effectiveness of the management systems currently under development.
