[DOE LETTERHEAD]

April 9, 2002

The Honorable John T. Conway
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

Dear Mr. Chairman:

The Department of Energy Implementation Plan for Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 2000-2, Configuration Management Vital Safety Systems, includes a number of commitments related to assessments of safety systems. Commitment 8 of the implementation plan states that:

Deficiencies observed during Phase I and Phase II assessments will be tracked and managed in local corrective action management systems. Resources allocated to address findings resulting from confinement ventilation system and other assessments within this Implementation Plan will be identified on an annual basis.

The deliverable for Commitment 8 is a summary of resources allocated for corrective actions within the FY 2003 budget request from Congress. Only a few Phase II assessments were completed in time to impact the FY 2003 budget cycle. New issues related to the material condition of safety systems that have been identified during Phase I and II assessments so far have not required significant capital outlays for correction. Corrective actions that can be executed immediately are being funded out of operating funds for the facilities. Most of the deficiencies noted in the Phase I and II assessments were known previously, and funding for corrective actions had already been requested as part of the normal budget development process. Corrective actions are being tracked and managed locally except that the two findings from the comprehensive fire assessment at the Hanford site are being tracked from Headquarters as well.

In summary, there were no new resources specifically identified in the FY 2003 budget to address corrective actions from 2000-2 assessments. The Department had already identified some safety system operability issues that require significant capital outlay for correction. Enclosed is a list of examples of such expenditures outside of Recommendation 2000-2. We are confident that the Department's safety management infrastructure, along with the upcoming Phase II assessments will identity any safety system deficiencies that would require significant capital outlays.

If you have questions on this deliverable, please call me on (301) 903-0124.

Sincerely,

Edward B. Blackwood
Director, Office of Environment, Safety and
Health Inspections

Enclosure