[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

May 2, 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:

 

The purpose of this letter is to identify the Office of Environmental Management’s (EM) progress towards our October 31, 2003 goal of institutionalizing the periodic safety system assessments established in the Defense Nuclear Safety Board Recommendation 2000-2 Implementation Plan.  This letter is a follow-up to the letter transmitted to you on December 2, 2002, from Mr. Edward B. Blackwood, wherein DOE’s path forward was described.

 

DOE Headquarters will ensure that Vital Safety System (VSS) assessments are institutionalized by the contractor into a DOE approved assessment schedule.  This is action 1.2.1 under the EM QAIP.  Under Order 420.1A, contractor system engineers using approved procedures and the Criteria and Review Approach Documents (CRADs) perform VSS assessments.  At EM field sites, DOE safety system oversight personnel will review the contractor assessments in accordance with DOE policy.  Implementation is on track to be completed by October 31, 2003, as committed.

 

I have enclosed a listing of those mechanisms each site is currently using to perform ongoing assessments of safety systems.  Should you have any questions regarding this direction, please contact Mr. Lawrence Bailey at 202-586-2975.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jessie Hill Roberson

Assistant Secretary for

Environmental Management

 

Enclosure

 

cc:  Ed Blackwood, EH-24

Mark Whitaker, DR