[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

 

August 30, 2007

 

The Honorable A. J. Eggenberger

Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW, Suite 700

Washington, D.C. 20004-2901

 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

 

The purpose of this letter is to update you on the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) progress in closing out remaining tasks related to historical supplemental directives from the Albuquerque Operations Office (AL) and other field elements.  NNSA previously updated you in a March 27, 2006, letter.

 

Since the last update, remaining tasks related to specific Site Office directives have been completed. The Nevada Site Office (NSO) completed its transition from Nevada Operations Office documents to NSO directives, completing the NSO open task.  The Pantex Site Office has incorporated Department of Energy Order 425.1 C, Startup and Restart of Nuclear Facilities into the contract with BWXT Pantex, eliminating the previously cited AL Supplemental Directive.

 

Progress has also been made on the three AL Supplemental Directives that were still in effect when the March 2006 update was provided to the Board.  DOE Order 452.2C, Explosive Safety, was issued in June 2006 and explicitly cancelled AL SD 452.2B.  DOE Order 452.6, Nuclear Weapon Surety Interface with the Department of Defense, was issued in October 2006 and is properly aligned to NNSA's organization; AL Supplemental Directive 561 0.13 is in the process of being cancelled.  The Office of Management and Administration recently approved NNSA's request to revise DOE Order 452.4A, Security and Control of Nuclear Explosives and Nuclear Weapons, and the revised directive will soon undergo the Department's Review and Comment process.  Upon issuing the revised Order 452.4A, AL Supplemental Directive 452.4A will be cancelled and NNSA will have completed all tasks related to NNSA field supplemental directives.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Carl Sykes at (301) 903-7399.

 

Sincerely,

 

Martin J. Schoenbauer

Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator

 for Operations

 

 

cc: M. Whitaker, HS-1.1