[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 59 (Monday, March 27, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16194-16195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7499]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


DOE Response to Recommendation 2000-1 of the Defense Nuclear 
Facilities Safety Board, Stabilization and Storage of Nuclear Material

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board published 
Recommendation 2000-1, concerning the stabilization and storage of 
nuclear material, on January 26, 2000 (65 FR 4237). Under section 
315(b) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 
2286d(b), the Department of Energy was required to transmit a response 
to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board by March 13, 2000. The 
Secretary's response follows.

DATES: Comments, data, views, or arguments concerning the Secretary's 
response are due on or before April 26, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, data, views, or arguments concerning the 
Secretary's response to: Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625 
Indiana Avenue NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Huizenga, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Integration and

[[Page 16195]]

Disposition, Environmental Management, Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 21, 2000.
Mark B. Whitaker, Jr.,
Departmental Representative to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety 
Board.

The Secretary of Energy

Washington, DC 20585

March 13, 2000.

The Honorable John T. Conway,
Chairman, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625 Indiana 
Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20004.

    Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter acknowledges receipt of your 
Recommendation 2000-1, ``Stabilization and Storage of Nuclear 
Materials,'' issued on January 14, 2000, concerning continued 
efforts to stabilize and safely store the materials identified in 
your previous Recommendation 94-1. I share the Board's concerns that 
the nuclear materials remaining to be stabilized throughout the DOE 
complex pose significant risks, and I agree it is a priority to 
improve the Department's performance reducing these risks.
    The Department has made progress in the last six years. Most of 
the very immediate concerns prompting Recommendation 94-1 have been 
mitigated. Stabilization activities are continuing. The Department 
has updated its safety analyses and implemented needed compensatory 
measures to ensure interim safe storage of nuclear materials. We 
recognize, however, that we must remain focussed until the task is 
complete.
    We are working aggressively to complete the resource-loaded 
baselines for the Savannah River Site and the Los Alamos National 
Laboratory to finish the stabilization work begun under 94-1. By the 
end of April, we plan to provide you with an implementation plan for 
completing the remaining 94-1 activities and satisfying the risk-
reduction requirements of Recommendation 2000-1. It is our intention 
that this combined plan will serve as the Department's 2000-1 
Implementation Plan and enable the closure of Recommendation 94-1. 
Morever, as we proceed with implementing Recommendation 2000-1, we 
will continually examine options and related resource requirements 
that may allow schedule acceleration.
    Accordingly, the Department accepts sub-recommendations 1 
through 9 of Recommendation 2000-1, which deal specifically with the 
technical aspects of our stabilization plans. We do not accept sub-
recommendations 10 and 11. While we agree that the funding 
requirements of our work need to be addressed, funding is not the 
only factor affecting the implementation of stabilization 
activities. Our rate of progress to date has also been affected by 
such factors as lack of adequate contractor baselines to guide work, 
technology maturity, facility and operational readiness, and 
unanticipated difficulties in maintaining and operating aging 
facilities. Currently, the accepted Implementation Plan for 94-1 is 
the December 1998 version, which has since been revised to reflect 
these factors. As such, an analysis of funding requirements for the 
accepted Implementation Plan would not provide a realistic or 
meaningful measure of how our stabilization activities could be 
accelerated. In addition, budgetary shortfalls have not made 
implementation impracticable and thus do not provide a basis for so 
notifying the President and the Congress.
    Dr. Carolyn Huntoon, Assistant Secretary for Environmental 
Management, is accountable to me for effective implementation of 
this recommendation. Mr. David Huizenga, Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Integration and Disposition in Environmental Management, is the 
responsible manager for the preparation of the Implementation Plan. 
He will work with you, other board members, and your staff to 
develop an acceptable Implementation Plan meeting our mutual 
expectations. He can be reached at (202) 586-5151.

      Yours sincerely,
Bill Richardson.
[FR Doc. 00-7499 Filed 3-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P