April 30, 2003, Department letter notifying the Board that the Department will require up to an additional 45 days to finalize and transmit the implementation plan for recommendation 2002-2, Weapons Laboratory Support of the Defense Nuclear Complex

[DOE LETTERHEAD]

April 30, 2003

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 is to notify you, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 2286d(e), that the Department of Energy will require up to an additional 45 days to transmit the implementation plan for addressing the issues raised in the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s (Board) Recommendation 2002-2, Weapons Laboratory Support of the Defense Nuclear Complex. A draft implementation plan has been prepared and shared with your staff but requires additional time to finalize.

Please contact me, or have your staff contact Ms. Karen Boardman, Sandia Site Office Manager at (505) 845-5690 or Martin Schoenbauer, NA-122 at (301) 903-3489 if you have any questions regarding the implementation plan.

We appreciate the advice and feedback provided by the Board and its staff during the development of this plan.

Sincerely,

Spencer Abraham