[SOE LETTERHEAD]

 

May 6, 2005

 

The Honorable A. J. Eggenberger

Acting Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW

Suite 700

Washington, DC 20004-2901

 

Dear Dr. Eggenberger:

 

The Department of Energy acknowledges receipt of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s Recommendation 2005-1, Nuclear Material Packaging, issued on March 10, 2005.

 

In response to Recommendations 94-1, 97-1, and 2000-1, the Department has made significant progress towards stabilizing and safely storing its nuclear materials, primarily plutonium metal and oxide materials and Uranium-233.  For example, all of the commitments included in the Implementation Plan for Recommendation 97-1, Safe Storage of Uraniun-233, and over two-thirds of the commitments in the Implementation Plan for Recommendation 2000-1, Stabilization and Storage of Nuclear Materials, have been completed.  Your Recommendation 2005-1 addresses storage requirements for other categories of nuclear materials that are beyond the scope of the Implementation Plans for Recommendations 94-1, 97-1, and 2000-1.

 

The Department accepts Recommendation 2005-1, and will develop an Implementation Plan to identify and issue additional nuclear material packaging and storage requirements.  The Plan will address the following activities:

 

• Specify the nuclear materials to which new requirements will apply.  This effort will include conducting a survey of the sites currently storing nuclear materials.

 

• Develop the technical criteria and requirements that mist be satisfied to ensure safe storage and handling of these materials, including the requirements for surveillance of packaged materials when appropriate.

 

• Develop a prioritized plan for implementing the above criteria and requirements based on the hazards and risks posed by the existing packaging configurations and conditions.

 

I have assigned Mr. Richard Stark, Director, Office of Facilities Operations Support, as the Department's responsible manager for developing the Implementation Plan.  He can be reached on (301) 903-4407.

 

Samuel W. Bodman