[SOE LETTERHEAD]
November 22, 2002
The Honorable John T. Conway
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana Avenue, NW
Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20004
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Enclosed is the Department’s Quality
Assurance Improvement Plan for Defense Nuclear Facilities. This plan describes the Department’s actions
to improve implementation of quality assurance as practiced by the Department
of Energy and its contractors in the design, procurement, construction,
operation, and maintenance of its vital safety systems. The Department appreciates the Board’s
technical reports and insights into the quality assurance program
improvements. Safety-related software
quality assurance will be addressed separately in response to your
Recommendation 2002-l issued on September 23, 2002.
We will keep you and your staff informed of
our progress in meeting the commitments in this Improvement Plan. Mr. Raymond Hardwick in the Office of
Environment, Safety and Health, at (301) 903-4244, is available to answer any
questions related to this matter.
Sincerely,
cc:
M. Whitaker, S-3.1