[DOE LETTERHEAD]
National
Nuclear Security Administration
February 28, 2005
The Honorable John T. Conway
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities
Safety Board
625 Indiana Avenue, NW.
Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20004
Dear Mr. Chairman:
In a letter dated October 21, 2004, the Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs advised
you of our plans to revise the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Safety
Management Functions, Responsibilities and Authorities Manual (FRAM) by February
28, 2005. Enclosed for your information
is Revision 1 of the NNSA FRAM. As
previously described, the NNSA Site Offices will update their FRAMs within 90 days.
The NNSA FRAM has been revised
to reflect recent organizational changes and responsibilities, specifically
those involving the Central Technical Authority and Chief of Defense Nuclear
Safety. Also, it has been revised to
include nuclear facility quality assurance and safety software quality
assurance responsibilities and authorities. As such, it meets our commitments, contained
in the Department’s Quality Assurance Improvement Plan for Defense Nuclear
Facilities and the Implementation Plan for Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety
Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 2002-1, Quality Assurance
for Safety Software at Department of Energy Defense Nuclear Facilities, for
updating the NNSA FRAM.
The NNSA FRAM is a living
document and will be periodically revised to reflect safety management
functional changes, as they evolve. For
example, any further changes resulting from the implementation of DNFSB
Recommendation 2004-1, Oversight of Complex, High Hazard Nuclear Operations,
and the issuance of a revision to the Department’s FRAM will be incorporated
into a future revision of the NNSA FRAM.
If you have any questions
regarding this revision to the NNSA FRAM, please have your staff contact Rabi
Singh of my staff at (301) 903-5864.
Sincerely,
Linton F. Brooks
Administrator
cc w/enclosure:
M. Whitaker, DR-1