[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

June 17, 2004

 

The Honorable John T. Conway

Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW, Suite 700

Washington, DC 20004-2901

 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

 

The purpose of this letter is to request a 60-day extension in order to fully respond to the issues in your May 3, 2004, letter on the Basis for Interim Operation (BIO) for the Mobile Waste Characterization and Loading Units for the Central Characterization Project at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

 

Although we have met with your staff to discuss some of the issues, we need additional time to address all of the concerns and possibly revise the BIO and the application guide.  We will continue to work closely with your staff to reach an acceptable path forward.

 

The request for extension has been discussed with your staff.  If you have any further questions, please call me at (202) 586-7709 or have your staff contact Mr. Dae Chung, Director, Licensing Office, at (301) 903-3968.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jessie Hill Roberson

Assistant Secretary for

Environmental Management

 

cc:  Mark Whitaker, Jr., Departmental Representative

U.S. Department of Energy