[DNFSB LETTERHEAD]

 

March 13, 2007

 

The Honorable Samuel W. Bodman

Secretary of Energy

1000 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20585-1000

 

Dear Secretary Bodman:

 

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) has received your letter of November 22, 2006, regarding the Department of Energy’s revised Implementation Plan for Recommendation 2004-2, Active Confinement Systems.  The Board has evaluated your response, along with supplemental information provided to the Board in a February 28, 2007 letter.  The supplemental information included two internal memoranda to the site office managers from the Office of Environmental Management dated June 9, 2006, and from the National Nuclear Security Administration dated December 6, 2006.  These memoranda explain the coordination and the level of reviews expected by these program offices for the ventilation system evaluations being conducted at defense nuclear facilities.

 

The Board concludes that despite the modifications made to the previously accepted Implementation Plan, these memoranda commit to adequate review and oversight by the Central Technical Authorities and subsidiary offices.  Therefore, based on the representations made in these three documents, the Board accepts the revised Implementation Plan submitted on July 12, 2006.

 

Sincerely,

 

A. J. Eggenberger

Chairman

 

c:  Mr. Mark B. Whitaker, Jr.