[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

National Nuclear Security Administration

 

January 14, 2004

 

The Honorable John T. Conway

Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW.

Suite 700

Washington, D.C. 20004

 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

 

Action 3.3 of the Department’s Quality Assurance Improvement Plan (QAIP) requires the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to validate and verify that quality assurance programs are effectively implemented for the design, procurement, fabrication, construction, and operation of safety systems.  The completion date for this action is January 2004.

 

The NNSA approach to complete this action was recently developed in a workshop held at the Nevada Site Office on November 13-14, 2003.  We appreciate the contribution of Ms. Neysa Slater-Chandler of your staff to the success of the workshop.  As a result of the workshop, we have developed an approach and schedule that will result in a technically sound and comprehensive validation and verification of effective implementation of quality assurance programs.  Our projected completion date is now July 2004.

 

We have directed our Site Offices to complete Action 3.3 in accordance with the approach and updated schedule.  A copy of our direction to the Site Offices is enclosed for your information.  This direction describes our approach to completing this action.

 

Should you or your staff have any questions regarding the above, please contact Mr. Rabi Singh of my staff at (301) 903-5864.

 

Everet H. Beckner

Deputy Administrator

for Defense Programs

 

Enclosure

 

cc w/enclosure:

M. Whitaker, DR-1

B. Cook, EH-1