[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

National Nuclear Security Administration

 

June 28, 2005

 

The Honorable A. J. Eggenberger

Acting Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20004

 

Dear Doctor Eggenberger,

 

In my July 13, 2004 response to your May 14, 2004 letter concerning the Facility Representative (FR) program in NNSA, I said that we would take the following actions to improve the program.

 

1. Develop guidance for the identification and conduct of activity specific hazard training and implement the guidance at our sites.
2. Develop a more rigorous staffing analysis methodology, conduct the analysis and use the results at the NNSA staffing summit.
3. Develop and implement plans for a FR pipeline.

 

All Sites have implemented the Headquarters guidelines for continuing FR training and conducted a staffing analysis using the more rigorous staffing analysis methodology.  Mr. Emil Morrow and Mr. John Evans, at my direction, then reviewed the results at each site and gave me a written report.  That report made two major recommendations.  It recommended that NNSA hire an additional 20 FRs and that the FR continuing training program be reviewed as part of on-site reviews of a site.  I approved both recommendations.

 

Mr. James Mangeno briefed the Board on the FR intern program on June 16, 2005.  We have hired the first set of interns and the first course will start on July 1, 2005.  I appreciate the Board’s involvement and helpful suggestions in the development of the course of instruction, as well as the FR Training guidelines and staffing analysis.

 

If you have any questions please call me or have your staff call Mr. Emil Morrow at 202-

586-5530.

 

Sincerely,

 

Linton F. Brooks

Administrator

 

cc:

Mark Whitaker DR- 1