[DOE LETTERHEAD]
National
Nuclear Security Administration
June 2, 2006
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:
I am writing this letter on
behalf of Ambassador Brooks in response to your letter dated March 27, 2006. In your letter you forwarded results of your
staff review of the Criticality Experiments Facility (CEF) Project design. Your staff review was focused on the adequacy
of the authorization basis for CEF, the criticality safety program, the fire protection
program, the confinement features, and the management and oversight roles of the
National Nuclear Security Administration.
Major issues raised by the Board
staff include inattention to the interface requirements between the existing
Device Assembly Facility and proposed CEF operations, and lack of acceptable
resolution of safety issues such as the need for fire protection, ventilation,
and criticality alarms in the bays and cells.
I am pleased to inform you that
all of the major issues brought to our attention by the Board staff have been
fully deliberated and are resolved. Resolution of issues will be documented in the
revision to the Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis and other relevant
project documents. Issues that result in
design changes will be implemented in the final project design.
The enclosure to this letter
reflects planned disposition of major issues raised in the Board letter.
If you have any questions,
please contact me or have your staff call Ms. Deborah D. Monette of the Nevada
Site Office at (702) 295-2588.
Sincerely,
Thomas P. D’Agostino
Deputy Administrator
for Defense Programs