[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

January 29, 2004

 

The Honorable John T. Conway

Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20004-2941

 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

 

The Implementation Plan for Software Quality Assurance (SQA) in response to Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 2002-l requires the Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) to perform a gap analysis on the toolbox codes.  Commitment 4.2.1.3 requires this analysis to determine the actions needed to bring the codes into compliance with SQA criteria and to develop a schedule with milestones to upgrade each code based on the gap analysis results.

 

This commitment was reported on December 3, 2003, as partially complete. �At that time, three of the six gap analyses reports were submitted as interim reports for MACCS2, ALOHA, and EPICODE. �The remaining three gap analysis interim reports for MELCOR, GENII, and CFAST have now been completed and are attached. �The gap analysis evaluated the SQA attributes of the six codes against identified criteria to determine the actions needed to bring the specific software into compliance with established SQA criteria. �Because the Department does not own the six toolbox codes, a firm schedule for upgrading each code cannot be developed. �The gap analysis does however, include an estimate of the level of effort required to upgrade each code based on the gap analysis results; a total of eight full-time equivalent years is estimated to upgrade all six toolbox codes. �We are working with Program Secretarial Offices and the code developers to evaluate the feasibility and schedule for completing the upgrades.

 

The gap analyses identify no software-induced errors in the codes that would have led to non-conservatisms at defense nuclear facilities. �The attached interim reports document this finding, provide the opportunity for peer review, and promote discussion within the SQA community. �Peer review is in progress and code developer review will be completed as soon as practical. �We will keep your staff apprised of our progress and expected completion schedule. �Completion of this commitment will not impact other ongoing SQA Implementation Plan activities.

 

Please contact me at (202) 586-6151, or have your staff contact Frank Russo at (301) 903-8008 if you have any questions concerning this commitment.

 

Sincerely,

 

Beverly A. Cook

Assistant Secretary

Environment, Safety and Health

 

Attachments (3)

 

cc:���� Mark Whitaker, DR- 1

Frank Russo, EH-3

Chip Lagdon, EH-31

 

CFAST Gap Analysis Report

GENII Gap Analysis Report

MELCOR Gap Analysis Report