[DOE LETTERHEAD]

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

January 29, 2001

The Honorable John T. Conway
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana Avenue, NW.
Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20004-2901

Dear Mr. Chairman:

On October 23, 2000, you transmitted to the Department of Energy the Board's concerns about two minority opinions involving lightning controls at the Pantex Plant and requested that we advise you within 30 days of receipt of your letter of our path forward and schedule for addressing these issues. One minority opinion expressed concern about the manner in which the Authorization Basis (AB) addressed the communication systems through which lightning warnings are transmitted. We believe the AB as currently approved is sufficient. Enclosure 1, Communication of Lightning Warnings, explains our position. The second minority opinion expressed concern about the effects of voltages induced by bonding wires in bays and cells. The Lightning Protection Nuclear Explosive Safety Master Study Post-Start Finding Corrective Action Plans, Enclosure 2, contain the path forward and schedule for the second minority opinion. The operating contractor and national laboratories have sufficient resources to complete these plans.

The accompanying staff issue report's comments on the Readiness Assessment (RA) and other points, as well as the Department of Energy's actions for these, are discussed in Enclosure 2, Readiness Assessments and Other Concerns. I share your concerns in these areas and am directing the Office of Operations and Readiness to include in its safety oversight plan specific measures to evaluate RAs at Pantex and to include its observations and conclusions in its quarterly reports to Defense Programs management during 2001.

If you have further questions, please contact me or have your staff contact Mr. David E. Beck at 202-586-4879 or Mr. Jeff Underwood at 301-903-8303.

Sincerely,

THOMAS F. GIOCONDA
Brigadier General, USAF
Acting Deputy Administrator
for Defense Programs

2 Enclosures

cc w/enclosure:
M. Whitaker, S-3.1