[DOE LETTERHEAD]
May 11, 2007
The Honorable A. J. Eggenberger
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana Ave, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Mr. Chairman:
During the last four months, the Office of Environmental Management (EM), the Savannah River Site (SRS), its contractors, and their respective consultants have worked closely with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) and staff to expeditiously resolve the issues identified in your January 10, 2007, letter regarding the structural analysis and design of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF).
As a result of these constructive efforts, a mutually agreeable and technically sound path forward for the SWPF structural analysis and design has been developed that moves this critically important risk-reduction project closer to final design. Enclosure 1 provides a summary of the resolution approaches for the key areas of concern identified in the January 10, 2007, letter. Enclosure 2 provides a record of documents used in formulating the bases for these agreements.
Our joint efforts to address the SWPF issues in a timely manner demonstrate responsiveness to the Congressional call for improvement in our issue resolution process. These efforts have, to date, been executed internally between EM, SRS, and its contractors, working closely with the DNFSB. In consideration of the numerous stakeholders with a vested interest in the successful deployment of this key risk reduction facility at the SRS, EM requests that the DNFSB acknowledge that the work completed to date and discussed in detail with DNFSB staff on April 30, 2007, addresses the January 10, 2007, concerns sufficiently to proceed with SWPF final analyses and design.
I
appreciate the constructive support of the DNFSB and its staff in this
important matter and I look forward to your timely response. If you have any comments or questions, please
call me at (202) 586-7709 or Dr.
Inés R. Triay, Chief Operating Officer for Environmental Management at (202) 586-0738.
Sincerely,
James A. Rispoli
Assistant
Secretary for
Environmental Management
cc: M. Whitaker, HS-1.1
J. Allison, SRS
I. Triay, EM-3