SECRET

 

[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

National Nuclear Security Administration

 

July 1, 2003

 

The Honorable John T. Conway

Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW.

Suite 700

Washington, D.C. 20004

 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

 

Consistent with the Department’s Implementation Plan (IP) for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 98-2, Revision 1, as revised by the Secretary’s October 28, 2002 correspondence, the following documents are forwarded in partial fulfillment of Commitment 4.3.3, “Develop site-wide TSR controls for on-site transportation of nuclear explosives.”

 

• Authorization Basis Change Proposal AB-02-25, Transportation Safety Analysis Report;

 

• Authorization Basis Change Proposal AB-02-69, Zone 12 & Zone 4 Staging Facilities Safety Analysis Report Module;

 

• Approval of Authorization Basis Change Proposal AB-02-25, Transportation Safety Analysis Report (SAR) and Technical Safety Requirements (TSRs), May 2, 2003; and

 

• Approval of Authorization Basis Change Proposal AB-02-69, Zone 12 & Zone 4 Staging Facilities SAR and TSRs, May 9, 2003.

 

The implementation plan needed to complete the commitment is being integrated with implementation plans for other site-wide authorization basis documents and will be provided by August 30, 2003.  This delay will allow us to provide a plan which ensures that those controls offering the greatest safety enhancements are implemented early in the process and will provide you with a more comprehensive basis for monitoring our progress in implementing the controls of the entire site-wide SAR.

 

Commitment 4.4.7 to implement critical tooling for the W88 bay operations by May 21, 2003, was based on the assumption that a Nuclear Explosive Safety Study (NESS) would not be required.  An initial review of the magnitude and volume of the final tooling configurations and procedures indicates that this assumption was incorrect.  We are evaluating how best to deliver this commitment in light of the new development and will advise you of a revised commitment date.  The same assumption underlies the companion

portion of Commitment 4.4.7 to deliver critical tooling for the W78 bay and cell operations by August 28, 2003.  When we advise you of the revised commitment date for the W88 we will also advise you of any necessary changes to the commitment date for the W78.

 

If you have any questions, please contact me or have your staff contact Dan Glenn at 806-477-3182.

 

Sincerely,

 

David E. Beck

Assistant Deputy Administrator

for Military Application and

Stockpile Operations

Defense Programs

 

4 Enclosures

Note:  Please call Dan Glenn at 806.477.3182 for a copy of the enclosures.

 

cc w/o enclosures:

M. Whitaker, DR-1

D. Glenn, PXSO

A. Matteucci, DNFSB

J. McConnell, DNFSB

W. Andrews, DNFSB

 

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