ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a framework for the use of a materials flow model and dynamic influence diagram, or causal loop diagram, to develop system insight into the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) responsibility for environmental cleanup of legacy nuclear waste. This framework is used to explore policy options, analyze plans, address management challenges, and develop mitigation strategies for the DoE Office of Environmental Management (EM). In the aftermath of the Cold War, the United States was left with a formidable legacy of radioactive waste, the by- products of the creation of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy research. The DoE is responsible for cleaning up the environmental legacy from five decades of nuclear weapons development and government- sponsored nuclear energy research. In 1998, EM developed a “projectized” approach to cleanup, which more fully defined the life-cycle scope and cost of the EM program.
