[DOE LETTER HEAD]
November 1, 2007
The Honorable A. J. Eggenberger
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The Office of Environmental Management (EM) has completed its portion of
Commitment 22D in the updated Department of Energy (DOE) Implementation
Plan (IP) to Improve Oversight of Nuclear Operations, dated October 2006. This
IP was in response to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Recommendation
2004-1, Oversight of Complex, High-Hazard Nuclear
Operations. Commitment 22D requires field offices with defense nuclear
facilities to develop DOE Integrated Safety Management System Descriptions
(ISMSDs) that meet the requirements of the new DOE ISMS Manual (DOE M
450.4-1, “Integrated Safety Management
System Manual,” dated November 1,
2006).
In accordance with the DOE ISMS Manual, field office managers are responsible
for developing, approving, maintaining, and implementing field ISMSDs. In May
2007, Assistant Secretary Rispoli directed EM field offices to use the EM ISMSD,
issued in April 2007, as a foundation to develop field ISMSDs. All field offices
have submitted their approved ISMSDs to EM Headquarters for information, as
required by the DOE ISMS Manual. The EM Office of Safety Management and
Operations has reviewed these documents and determined that they adequately
outline the field offices’ approaches to implementing integrated safety
management systems.
Copies of ISMSDs for the following field offices have been provided to your staff
for information:
·
· Office of River Protection
·
· Carlsbad Field Office
·
·
If you have any comments or 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:
M.
Whitaker, HS- 1.1