[DNFSB LETTERHEAD]

 

August 8, 2007

 

The Honorable Samuel W. Bodman

Secretary of Energy

1000 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC: 20585-1000

 

Dear Secretary Bodman:

 

On March 8, 2000, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) issued Recommendation 2000-2, Configuration Management, Vital Safety Systems, to improve and ensure the operability of vital safety systems.  The Board has reviewed the status of the Implementation Plan for Recommendation 2000-2 and believes closure of the Recommendation is appropriate.  The Board wishes to acknowledge the effort of those personnel who worked diligently for several years to make this possible.

 

Adequate configuration management of vital safety systems is fundamental to supporting the long-term health of the vital safety systems, which is the subject of this letter.  The Board is concerned with the deficiencies in configuration management noted by the Office of Security and Safety Performance Assurance (now part of the Office of Health, Safety and Security) in its facility assessments during the past several years, and takes note of the Department of Energy (DOE) long-term initiative to implement configuration management at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory.  Pursuant to our role in safety at defense nuclear facilities, the Board will request, separately, that relevant DOE programs provide periodic reports or briefings on the implementation and maintenance of configuration management programs, as appropriate.

 

Sincerely,

 

A. J. Eggenberger

Chairman

 

c:   The Honorable Thomas P. D'Agostino

Mr. Glenn S. Podonsky

Mr. Mark B. Whitaker, Jr.