[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

September 17, 2003

 

The Honorable John T. Conway

Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW

Suite 700

Washington, D.C. 20004

 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

 

In your August 14, 2003, letter to the Department of Energy (DOE), you requested the Office of Environmental Management (EM) to identify whether any High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)-filtered ventilation systems exist for the protection of personnel who must shelter or continue operations in nuclear or non-nuclear facilities (including emergency operations centers) following an accident in a nearby nuclear facility.

 

Upon review, such HEPA-filtered ventilation systems do not exist at the facilities managed by Richland and Savannah River Operations Offices, Carlsbad and Ohio Field Offices, and the Office of River Protection. �Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site has two habitability systems where the workers could remain to perform duties due to the HEPA filter protection. �The Emergency Operations Center in Building 115 has a system with two HEPA filters installed. �The Security Operations Center in Building 121 has a system with one HEPA filter installed. �All three HEPA filters were visually inspected and tested at the DOE Filter Test Facility.

 

Field elements where EM is not Lead Program Secretarial Officer (LPSO) will submit the results of their review of the HEPA-filtered habitability systems to their respective LPSO.

 

If you have any further questions, please call me or Ms. Sandra Johnson, Director, Office of Safety and Engineering, at (202) 586-0651.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jessie Hill Roberson

Assistant Secretary for

Environmental Management

 

cc: �P. Golan, EM-3

S. Johnson, EM-5

M. Gavrilas-Guinn, EM-5

B. Cook, EH-1

E. Beckner, NA-10

W. Magwood, NE- 1

R. Orbach, SC-l

M. Whitaker, DR-1