[DOE LETTER HEAD]
October 31, 2008
The Honorable A. J. Eggenberger
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana Avenue, N W
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20004-2901
Dear Mr. Chairman:
This letter transmits the enclosed report summarizing the results of a comprehensive line oversight of the implementation of the Department of Energy (DOE) Operating Experience Program (OEP) in the Office of Environmental Management (EM), as committed in my letter dated December 28, 2007.
We initiated a systematic line oversight approach to evaluate the effectiveness of site implementation by directing EM Field Offices to perform self-assessments of their OEP, as well as assessments of their contractors OEP using an EM developed criteria, review, and approach document. Based on the assessment reports received from the field, DOE Order 2 10.2, DOE Corporate Operating Experience Program, requirements have been implemented and the programs are in varying degrees of maturity and effectiveness. A review of the reports shows that while some sites have fully implemented the program, others are in the process of developing more effective processes to improve their programs. Electronic copies of the field assessment reports will be provided to your staff.
We are committed to the effective implementation of the DOE OEP at EM sites and at Headquarters (HQ). EM policy is to include DOE Order 210.2 in all EM contracts for management or operation of a DOE site or facility and those contracts for EM programmatic cleanup and remediation activities. The Order has not only been included in the contracts at our major facilities, but also in contracts at our smaller sites. The EM HQ OEP has now been institutionalized in Standing Operating Polices and Procedures (SOPP), EM Corporate Operating Experience Program. The formalization of the HQ program will help address several recurring issues noted at some of the field elements.
If you have any further questions, please call me at (202) 586-0738, or Mr. Dae Y. Chung, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Safety Management and Operations, at (202) 586-5151.
Sincerely,
James M. Owendoff
Chief Operations Officer
for Environmental Management
cc:
I. Triay, EM-2
C. Anderson, EM-3
D. Chung, EM-60
C. WU, EM-61
M. Whitaker, HS-1.1