[DOE LETTERHEAD]
August 19, 2008
The Honorable A. J. Eggenberger
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana Avenue, N. W., Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20004-2901
Dear Mr. Chairman:
On July 12, 2006, Secretary Bodman submitted the Department's revised Implementation Plan (IP) for Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 2004-2, Active Confinement Systems. Deliverable 8.6.3 of the IP consists of facility-specific confinement ventilation system (CVS) evaluations performed by the Site Offices in accordance with the Department's Ventilation System Evaluation Guidance. Deliverable 8.6.5 consists of Program Secretarial Office concurrence and approval of the disposition of gaps and upgrades. This letter and its enclosure comprise Deliverables 8.6.3 and 8.6.5 for the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility (HEUMF) at the Y- 12 National Security Complex.
In accordance with the IP and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) guidance provided to the Sites in our December 6, 2006, memorandum, the Department of Energy Independent Review Panel (IRP) of CVS experts and the NNSA Chief of Defense Nuclear Safety (CDNS) have performed separate reviews of the evaluation and its conclusions.
The CVS evaluation report for HEUMF, the associated IRP report, and the Y-12 Site Office letter requesting NA-10 approval are enclosed. The report did not identify any gaps, and therefore, there are no associated recommended actions. The NNSA CDNS and IRP have concluded that the evaluation and its results are technically sound and appropriate, and meet the intent of the IP. Our review concurs with the conclusions reached by the Site, IRP, and CDNS.
If you have any questions concerning this letter or its enclosure, please contact me or have your staff contact Rick Kendall by phone at 301-903-3102 or by
e-mail at Rick.Kendall@,nnsa.doe.gov.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Smolen
Deputy Administrator
for Defense Programs
cc: w/enclosure
B. Ostendorff, NA-2
M. Whitaker, HS- 1.1
D. Nichols, NA-2.1
T. Sherry, YSO
J. McConnell, NA- 171