[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

June 24, 2004

 

The Honorable John T. Conway

Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW.
Suite 700

Washington, D.C. 20004

 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

 

The purpose of this letter is to notify the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) of the authorized startup of the W78 Seamless Safety for the 21st Century (SS-21) process as required by Commitment 4.4.5 to the DNFSB Recommendation 98-2, "Accelerating Safety Management Improvements at the Pantex Plant."

 

The W78 bay startup was authorized June 10, 2004, and the cell was authorized on June 21, 2004, for single-unit operations. All pre-starts on the nuclear explosive safety study and readiness assessment have been closed. Appropriate authorization basis changes were made and approved. A revision has been made to the Master Authorization Agreement. Authorized startup of the W78 SS-21 process completes Commitment 4.4.5.

 

If you have questions, please call me at 202-586-4879 or have your staff contact Ms. Debra Volk at 505-845-5106.

 

Sincerely,

 

David E. Beck
Assistant Deputy Administrator

for Military Application and

Stockpile Operations

Defense Programs

 

cc:

J. McConnell, DNFSB

W. Andrews, DNFSB

A. Matteucci, DNFSB

M. Whitaker, DR-1

D. Glenn, PXSO