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MEMORANDUM FOR ENERGY, SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMS
FROM: ROBERT G.CARD
SUBJECT: Correspondence with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
This memorandum transmits to the ESE line organizations direction provided by the Deputy Secretary regarding the completeness and accuracy of correspondence with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNSFB).
DOE should use every avenue to obtain relevant information concerning safety issues. The DNFSB site representatives are an important independent set of eyes at our sites and can be a valuable resource to assure the accuracy of our evaluation of safety issues and the status of corrective actions. Therefore, this is to remind you to actively seek the opinion of the local DNFSB site representative when responding to specific requests for information on safety issues.
To assure the quality of information in general, I want to institute more formal procedures when responding to requests for information or action related to the DNFSB. When field input is necessary, a formal request will normally be provided by memorandum from the Program Secretarial Office to the Site Manager. It is expected that the Site Manager will personally sign all correspondence and return it to the Program Secretarial Officer related to the DNFSB. It is the Site Manager’s personal responsibility to assure the accuracy and completeness of the information and that the correspondence has been discussed with the local DNFSB site representative or cognizant engineer.
Should it become apparent that the DNFSB site representative or cognizant engineer has significant issues with any proposed response, the Program Secretarial Officer will be informed for the purpose of advising DOE senior management.
This is not intended to compromise the role of the DNFSB to provide independent review and evaluation of the safety of the Department’s operations. Rather, this is to remind you to take advantage of all resources available in order to provide the best evaluation of the safety of our operations and to clarify issues from the perspective of the DNFSB.
DISTRIBUTION: ENERGY, SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMS
Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy
Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management
Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy
Office of Electric Transmission and Distribution
Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management
Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology
Office of Science
Office of Worker Community Transition
cc: Deputy
Secretary Kyle E. McSlarrow
M. Whitaker, DR-1