[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 48970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20087]


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DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD


Sunshine Act Notice

AGENCY: Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting and Hearing.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of the ``Government in the Sunshine 
Act''
    (5 U.S.C. 552b), and as authorized by 42 U.S.C. 2286b, notice is 
hereby given of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's (Board) 
public meeting and hearing described below. The Board invites 
interested persons or groups to present comments, technical 
information, or data concerning safety issues related to the matters to 
be considered.

TIME AND DATE OF MEETING: Session I: 1 p.m.--5 p.m., October 2, 2012; 
Session II: 6:30 p.m.--9 p.m., October 2, 2012.

PLACE: Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley Street, Knoxville, 
Tennessee 37902.

STATUS Open. While the Government in the Sunshine Act does not require 
that the scheduled discussion be conducted in a meeting, the Board has 
determined that an open meeting in this specific case furthers the 
public interests underlying both the Sunshine Act and the Board's 
enabling legislation.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: In Session I of this public meeting and 
hearing, the Board will examine the National Nuclear Security 
Administration's (NNSA) efforts to mitigate risks to public and worker 
safety posed by aging defense nuclear facilities at the Y-12 National 
Security Complex. The Board will receive testimony from NNSA and its 
contractors concerning the operations at existing Y-12 defense nuclear 
facilities, including Building 9212, Building 9204-2E, and Building 
9215. The Board is interested in actions taken to address recent issues 
with conduct of operations, maintenance, and work planning; the 
contractor's processes for identifying and resolving safety issues; and 
the effectiveness of NNSA's oversight for nuclear operations. The Board 
will also examine the status of emergency preparedness at Y-12 and will 
receive testimony concerning how well NNSA and its contractor are 
prepared to respond to severe events and site emergencies. The Board is 
interested in lessons learned from the events at the Fukushima Daiichi 
complex and the actions taken to incorporate these lessons learned at 
the site-wide level and in defense nuclear facility operations. During 
Session II, the Board will receive testimony regarding factors that 
could affect the timely execution and safety of the Uranium Processing 
Facility (UPF) project. These factors include the federal project 
team's strategy for identifying and resolving safety issues in a timely 
manner. The Board is also interested in exploring the potential safety 
impacts of NNSA's decision to accelerate the acquisition of select 
processing capabilities and defer others to a later date, as well as 
the potential for weaknesses in technology development to impact 
safety. The public hearing portion of this proceeding is authorized by 
42 U.S.C. 2286b.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: Debra Richardson, Deputy General 
Manager, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625 Indiana Avenue 
NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004-2901, (800) 788-4016. This is a 
toll-free number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public participation in the hearing is 
invited. The Board is setting aside time at the end of each session of 
the hearing for presentations and comments from the public. Requests to 
speak may be submitted in writing or by telephone. The Board asks that 
commenters describe the nature and scope of their oral presentations. 
Those who contact the Board prior to close of business on September 28, 
2012, will be scheduled to speak at the session of the hearing most 
relevant to their presentations. At the beginning of Session I, the 
Board will post a schedule for speakers at the entrance to the hearing 
room. Anyone who wishes to comment or provide technical information or 
data may do so in writing, either in lieu of, or in addition to, making 
an oral presentation. The Board Members may question presenters to the 
extent deemed appropriate. Documents will be accepted at the hearing or 
may be sent to the Board's Washington, DC, office. The Board will hold 
the record open until November 2, 2012, for the receipt of additional 
materials. The hearing will be presented live through Internet video 
streaming. A link to the presentation will be available on the Board's 
Web site (www.dnfsb.gov). A transcript of the hearing, along with a DVD 
video recording, will be made available by the Board for inspection and 
viewing by the public at the Board's Washington, DC, office and at 
DOE's public reading room at the DOE Federal Building, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585. The Board specifically 
reserves its right to further schedule and otherwise regulate the 
course of the meeting and hearing, to recess, reconvene, postpone, or 
adjourn the meeting and hearing, conduct further reviews, and otherwise 
exercise its power under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended.

    Dated: August 10, 2012.
Peter S. Winokur,
Chairman.
[FR Doc. 2012-20087 Filed 8-13-12; 11:15 am]
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