[DOE LETTERHEAD]

RICHLAND OPERATIONS OFFICE

April 27, 1998

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

Dear Mr. Chairman:

DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD (DNFSB) RECOMMENDATION 92-4 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (IP), REVISION 2N, COMPLETION OF COMMITMENT 5.2.2(c), "EVALUATE 1997 SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PROCESSES EXISTING ON THE TWRS IMMOBILIZED LOW-ACTIVITY WASTE INTERIM STORAGE PROJECT (PROJECT W-465)"

The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) has completed commitment 5.2.2(c), "Evaluate 1997 systems engineering processes existing on the TWRS Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Interim Storage Project (Project W-465)," as of December 31, 1997, using the method developed in response to Commitment 5.2.2(b). This commitment is identified in DNFSB Recommendation 92-4 IP, Revision 2N, as the "U.S. Department of Energy Plan for Improving the Systems Engineering Approach and Management Practices of the Hanford Site Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS). "

The results of this evaluation are described in the enclosed report entitled "Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Commitment 5.2.2(c) - Letter Report: Systems Engineering Assessment of Project W-465, March 1998." This evaluation was conducted using the "Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Systems Engineering Maturity Assessment Guide" that was transmitted to you on January 23, 1998, "Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 92-4 Implementation Plan (IP), Revision 2N, Completion of Commitment 5.2.2(b), 'Create a Method for Measuring Systems Engineering Implementation in TWRS Projects'," letter number 97-MSD-298.

As explained in the enclosed report, application of the maturity assessment guide provided useful insights into the implementation of systems engineering on Project W-465, as well as the effectiveness of the assessment guide itself. A discussion of how the results of this effort will be applied to other TWRS projects will be presented to the DNFSB in May 1998 during the semi- annual briefing to be held in accordance with Commitment 6.3.(1) in the subject IP.

RL has completed the action identified under this milestone and proposes closure of this commitment.

If you have any questions, please contact me, or your staff may contact William J. Taylor, Waste Disposal Division, on (509) 372-3864.

Sincerely,

John D. Wagoner
Manager

Enclosure

cc w/encl:
M. W. Frei, EM-30
K. T. Lang, EM-38
R. G. Lightner, EM-38
J. M, Owendoff, EM- I
C. A. Peabody, EM-4
M. B. Whitaker, S-3.1

Note: This report is available in the [PDF] file.