[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 38268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15477]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


DOE Implementation Plan for Recommendation 2000-1 of the Defense 
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Stabilization and Storage of Nuclear 
Material

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice.

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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(e) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 
2286d(e), the Department of Energy must transmit an implementation plan 
on Recommendation 2000-1 to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 
after acceptance of the Recommendation by the Secretary. The 
Department's implementation plan was sent to the Safety Board on June 
8, 2000, and is available for review in the Department of Energy Public 
Reading Rooms.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, data, views, or arguments concerning the 
implementation plan to: Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Huizenga, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Integration and Disposition, Environmental Management, 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20585.

    Issued in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 2000.
Mark B. Whitaker, Jr.,
Departmental Representative to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety 
Board.

The Secretary of Energy

June 8, 2000.

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

    Dear Mr. Chairman: Enclosed is Revision 3 of the Department's 
Implementation Plan for remediating the nuclear materials identified 
in Recommendations 94-1 and 2000-1. This revision describes the 
current status of, and changes to, the Department's plans for 
stabilizing the nuclear materials, with significant changes included 
for the Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel Project, Savannah River Site, 
Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Los Alamos National 
Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These plans 
and any changes to previous commitments have been discussed with 
members of your staff.
    The enclosed plan includes discussion of all of the actions 
taken to date to address the urgent safety issues described in the 
original Recommendation 94-1. It also sets forth the Department's 
plans and commitments for the remaining stabilization activities 
called for in Recommendation 2000-1. Accordingly, the Department 
proposes closure of Recommendation 94-1 as we continue to track our 
stabilization activities under Recommendation 2000-1.
    The Department is currently working closely with the Los Alamos 
National Laboratory to establish a satisfactory path forward for 
stabilization of its remaining 94-1 legacy inventory. Los Alamos 
completed stabilization of all of their high-risk vault items in 
July 1998, and stabilization of the remaining 17 priority items 
stored in gloveboxes is being actively pursued. Five interim 
commitments have been established to monitor the preparation of an 
integrated plan with milestones for the stabilization and discard of 
those items and all remaining 94-1 legacy material at Los Alamos. 
This plan will be available by October 31, 2000.
    The Department acknowledges that the enclosed revision reflects 
significant delays to some of our previously approved stabilization 
commitments, particularly in the area of stabilization activities at 
the Savannah River Site. As I described in my March 13, 2000, 
response to your Recommendation 2000-1, these delays result from a 
variety of interrelated factors that include funding priorities as 
well as technical and management issues. In developing this plan 
revision, however, we have been careful to order the activities with 
the objective of achieving early risk reduction. We recognize the 
importance of these projects and will work to maximize our 
efficiency and attain every possible schedule acceleration.
    We continue to closely track progress on all stabilization 
commitments and are pleased to be able to continue to show 
measurable progress at several sites. Of note is the completion of 
all remaining 94-1 activities at the Idaho National Engineering and 
Environmental Laboratory. We will keep you and your staff apprised 
of our progress in meeting the commitments at the remaining six 
sites. If you have any questions, please contact me or have your 
staff contact Mr. David Huizenga at (202) 586-5151.

    Yours sincerely,
Bill Richardson.
  
[FR Doc. 00-15477 Filed 6-19-00; 8:45 am]
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