[DOE LETTERHEAD]

September 20, 1999

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

Dear Mr. Chairman:

This is in response to your letter dated July 8, 1999, which transmitted your staff's issue report dated June 15, 1999. The Department remains committed to meeting the November 2000 fuel movement date and a swift, safe completion of the Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel Project (SNFP). This was reemphasized recently in Revision 1 of the Implementation Plan for the Remediation of Nuclear Materials in the Defense Nuclear Facilities Complex (Recommendation 94-1) which was conditionally accepted by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board on January 28, 1999. The response to your staff's issue report is summarized in the enclosure.

An independent team of experts conducted an extensive review of the SNFP during the month of May 1999 to evaluate whether the project has a sound technical, cost, and schedule basis (copy enclosed). The Review Team concluded that a strong and effective management team is in place, that considerable progress has been made in baseline management and project controls, and that the cost baseline is achievable. There are, however, significant schedule risks. Our assessment is that the contributing issues are within the control of the project management team and a concerted effort is being made to resolve them expeditiously in order to meet the November 2000 fuel movement date.

I am encouraged that the SNFP is in constant communication with your staff through weekly teleconferences, periodic video conferences, and meetings at the site. This close communication should ensure that your staff is kept intimately informed not only on project accomplishments but also on current and emerging technical issues and their resolutions. This form of communication benefitted SNFP.

The Department appreciates the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's continued interest in the Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel Project. We will continue to keep your staff informed of the Project status. If you have any further questions, please contact me or have a member of your staff contact Randall Kaltreider of my staff at 301-903-4259.

Sincerely,

Carolyn L. Huntoon
Assistant Secretary for
Environmental Management

Enclosure

cc:
M. Whitaker, S-3.1

Note: This enclosure is available in [PDF].