[DOE LETTERHEAD]
NATIONAL NUCLEAR
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
February 7, 2003
The Honorable John
T. Conway
Chairman
Defense Nuclear
Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana
Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
20004
Dear Mr. Chairman:
As committed in my
September 24, 2002, letter to you, the National Nuclear Security Administration
(NNSA) is providing our strategy to improve the characterization, storage and
disposition of inactive actinides. It
is clear to me that we need an organized approach that will ensure senior Headquarters
managers are continuously involved in the programmatic and safety aspects of
this work. Accordingly, I am
undertaking a three-part effort.
First, as always,
we will continue to address imminent public and worker safety concerns
associated with actinide storage immediately as they are identified. Appropriate corrective actions will
eliminate or mitigate the risk.
Second, I will be
directing the creation of an inactive actinides program management approach
that will collect, on an annual basis, prioritized projects from each
site. A designated Headquarters program
manager will integrate these priorities across sites, and those projects that
merit immediate investment will be funded, and the work directed and
tracked. I will provide you with additional
details on this process as it is developed, but it is my intention to complete
the first data call and review in FY 2003 and to fund specific tasks in FY
2004. Thereafter we will forecast an
annual budget within the Future Years Nuclear Security Program and review
priorities annually. This will be a
comprehensive approach that will include characterization, packaging, storage
and disposition in whatever combination best addresses the most critical safety
requirements and programmatic needs.
Finally, you have
pointed out numerous deficiencies related to the protocols and procedures used
throughout the inactive materials management process from identification to
disposition. We agree with the concerns
expressed in your May 20, 2002, letter and are committed to updating aspects of
our system that are outdated and ineffective.
The attached
“Report to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board on the Management of
Inactive Actinide Materials at NNSA Sites,” was prepared by the Inactive
Actinides Working Group and presents three strategies: (1) Protocol for Acceptance and Retention of
Nuclear Materials, (2) Material Characterization and Storage Adequacy, and (3)
Disposition. This Report identifies
planning and implementation of activities and milestones in FY 2003-04 on which
we will keep you apprised, including addressing your December 31, 2002,
comments. A briefing to the Board will
be scheduled to present our path forward.
If you have any
questions or require further information, you may contact me, or your staff may
contact Diane Larsen of my staff (301) 903-7316.
Sincerely,
Everet H. Beckner
Deputy
Administrator
for Defense
Programs