Highlights for August 5 - 9, 2002

OTS/AL Comprehensive Inspection: In-brief conducted at AL, planning/team meeting scheduled for August 12, topic teams continue to coordinate with site POCs and team members, and the data call is due at the end of this week.

Special Reviews: The Headquarters draft review report is scheduled for review by management August 14, and data was collected in support of the SNL-NM inspection – the draft report will be developed next week.

The review of the final Pantex CAP continues.

Support for the NNSA site analysis at LANL continues until August 17.

ANL-W Comprehensive Inspection: Proposed team resource list has been provided to management, a FOF coordination visit to ANL-W was conducted, work has begun on arranging hotel accommodations and additional administrative memoranda.

Final modifications to the configuration of the operating system that will support the implementation of the OA classified local area network are being made. Coordination with the Office of the CIO has garnered the support of a system’s engineer to review system architecture and develop system security and test documentation.

Action to modify the OA-10/Eagle Research-developed BATLE neutralization computer code continues.

Development of the Government Information Security Reform Act (GISRA) report for the DOE’s classified cyber security continues.

OA-20 is reviewing the final draft of the SecureNet report.

OA-20 support to the OA-10 Secure LAN is nearing completion.

OA-30 and OA-50 continue to plan for the combined review at the Nevada Test Site that will begin September 9. A planning visit is scheduled for August 27–28, 2002.

OA-30 is in the initial stages of planning for an evaluation of the Office of Transportation Safeguards corrective action for emergency response to address the Judgment of Need from the Accident Investigation Report dated June 1999 of Special Agent Fatality at Southeast Courier Section.

OA-50 staff will revise the report that analyzes independent environmental protection program assessments that have been conducted at DOE facilities over the past several years.

Discussion continues between the Director of OA-50 and various site managers concerning the OA inspection team augmentation program. Discussions are underway with OAK management to utilize an OAK staff member to supplement the Pantex inspection team.

The revised DOE Order 470.2B, "Independent Oversight and Performance Assurance Program" is currently undergoing the FMC review process.

The Corrective Action Plan (CAP) for the Hanford (PFR specific) safety management inspection was due on May 28. EM had previously rejected the CAP and requested that a revised CAP be submitted to EM by June 27. Revision 2 of the CAP was approved on August 2 and is currently under review by OA-50 staff.

A final corrective action plan for the ANL-East safety and emergency management inspection has been requested. The final corrective action plan is due on August 27.

Discussions are being held on AAAHC re-accreditation and consultation reviews with Sandia New Mexico and Sandia California. The review is tentatively scheduled for December 4 - 6, 2002, and will include a consultative visit at the Sandia California facility.

Safety and emergency management inspection at LLNL -- Factual accuracy comments on the draft report were reviewed, changes made to the report as appropriate, and the report is ready for final publication. The team leader provided comments to the site on the preliminary corrective action plan.

Coordination of the upcoming safety and emergency management inspection at NTS continues.

Coordination with OA-30 on the safety and emergency management inspection at WIPP continues. Onsite activities were completed on August 8. Validation is scheduled for the week of August 19. OA-30 is providing the team leader for this inspection.

OA has requested an overall schedule of activities and copies of completed reports regarding the status of line actions taken to address the DNFSB concerns on the effectiveness of ISM for BJC activities at ORO. Many of the documents have been recovered, but an overall schedule is yet to be provided. A follow-up meeting will be scheduled upon receipt of all of the requested documents.

Coordination and exchange of management systems strategies between OA and the Nuclear Safety Directorate in the United Kingdom continue. Areas of mutual benefit include inspections and review methodologies and exchanges, safety performance indicators, measuring contractor performance, and training of inspectors. Senior OA managers traveled to the UK on July 26 – August 3 to conduct exchange activities that included tours and discussions at the Sellafield, UKAEA, Burghfield and Aldermaston sites.

MC&A team subject matter experts met to develop topical inspection enhancements. Among the ideas considered were tabletop exercises to augment the current set of performance tests.

The PF working group has presented their milestones to implement proposed initiatives to management, and final changes are being made in response to management’s comments.

OA-10 assisted OA-30 in the development of inspection techniques to be used to test PF use of deadly force.

OA-10 management met with security officials at AL, OTS, LANL and SNL to discuss potential enhancements to the independent oversight process.

The review of 142.X, UVF&A was completed and proposed comments were forwarded to management.

OA-20 attended the weekly CIO Cyber Security meeting.

OA-20 composed an order for additional equipment for the Cyber Security Lab.

OA-30 completed the review of the Draft FRAM (DOE M 411.1-1C), which addresses in a limited manner emergency management functions, responsibilities, and authorities in the context of safety management. Comments were provided to the coordinator.

OA-30 and OA-50 are currently conducting a review at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. The on-site data collection phase was completed August 9.

The Argonne National Laboratory-East interim corrective action plan was received from the site on July 7. Formal comments on the plan were transmitted to the Chicago Operations Office.

Comments on the ANL interim corrective action plan were developed.

A final corrective action plan for the LANL safety and emergency management inspection has been reviewed by OA and found to be responsive to the report findings.

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