[DNFSB
LETTERHEAD]
September 1, 2005
The Honorable Linton Brooks
Administrator
National Nuclear Security
Administration
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585-0701
Dear Ambassador Brooks:
On May 31, 2005, the Defense
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) issued a letter noting that the passive
confinement approach credited by the safety basis for the Plutonium Facility at
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is inadequate as a safety control. The letter requested that the National Nuclear
Security Administration (NNSA) provide to the Board within 60 days a report
outlining NNSA’s plan and schedule for implementing an effective safety-class
system that would protect the public from the unmitigated consequences of a potential
event at the Plutonium Facility. In a
letter dated July 21, 2005, NNSA requested a 60-day extension to prepare an
adequate response.
The Board is aware of the
preliminary analysis that has been performed by LANL and agrees with NNSA that
this analysis must be significantly modified to be responsive to the Board’s
request. The Board is also aware that
the Core Team preparing the Implementation Plan for the Board’s Recommendation
2004-2, Active
Confinement Systems, is
developing the necessary guidance for preparation of such an analysis and is
considering using LANL’s Plutonium Facility as a pilot facility for
implementation of this guidance. The
Core Team’s general approach appears reasonable. As such, the Board grants NNSA such additional
time as is necessary to apply the guidance being developed by the team to LANL’s
Plutonium Facility, consistent with the schedule proposed in the draft
Implementation Plan for Recommendation 2004-2.
The Board’s staff is available
to participate with the Recommendation 2004-2 Core Team in reviewing the path
forward for LANL’s Plutonium Facility.
Sincerely,
A. J. Eggenberger
Chairman
c: Mr. Thomas P. D’Agostino
Mr.
Edwin L. Wilmot
Mr.
Mark B. Whitaker, Jr.