[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

January 10, 2005

 

The Honorable John T. Conway

Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW, Suite 700

Washington, DC 20004-2941

 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

 

Commitment 4.3.2.1 in the Implementation Plan for Software Quality Assurance (SQA) in response to Board Recommendation 2002-1 requires the Department to establish a schedule to develop, revise, approve, and issue software quality assurance directives.  In a letter to you on October 31, 2003, the Department provided a copy of that schedule.  The Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) has developed a revision to DOE O 414.1C, Quality Assurance in accordance within the schedule, to be issued within the directives system by December 31, 2004.  While the Department has made significant progress in developing this Order revision and also in developing new DOE G 414.1-4, Safety Software Guide for use with 10 CFR 830 Subpart A, Quality Assurance Requirements, and DOE O 414.1C, Quality Assurance, the Order and Guide will not be issued as planned.

 

We will continue to aggressively pursue issuing the Order.  EH will brief the Board on the new schedule for issuing the Order at the next regular scheduled meeting.  Questions concerning this commitment may be directed to Frank Russo at (301) 903-8008 or Richard Lagdon at (301) 903-4218.

 

Sincerely,

 

John Spitaleri Shaw

Acting Assistant Secretary

Office of Environment, Safety and Health

 

cc:

C. Russell Shearer, EH-1

Mark B. Whitaker, DR-I

Frank B. Russo, EH-3

Richard H. Lagdon, EH-31