3670-01
DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD
Pursuant to the
provisions of the “Government in the Sunshine Act” (5 U.S.C. § 552b), notice is
hereby given of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s (Board) public
hearing and meeting described below. The
Board will conduct a public hearing and meeting pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 2286b
and invites any interested persons or groups to present any comments, technical
information, or data concerning safety issues related to the matters to be
considered.
TIME AND DATE OF MEETING: 9:00
a.m., July 19, 2006.
PLACE: Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Public Hearing Room, 625
Indiana Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20004-2001. Additionally, as a part of the Board’s E-Government
initiative, the meeting will be presented live through Internet video
streaming. A link to the presentation
will be available on the Board’s web site (www.dnfsb.gov).
STATUS: Open. While the Government in the Sunshine Act does
not require that the scheduled discussion be conducted in a meeting, the Board
has determined that an open meeting in this specific case furthers the public
interests underlying both the Sunshine Act and the Board’s enabling
legislation.
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: This
public hearing and meeting is the second in a series concerning the Department
of Energy’s (DOE) and National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA)
incorporation of safety into the design and construction of new and existing
DOE defense nuclear facilities. The
Board is responsible, pursuant to its statutory charter, to review and evaluate
the content and implementation of standards relating to the design and
construction of such facilities. The
Board has previously observed the need for improvement in the incorporation of
safety early in the design of certain new defense nuclear facilities. These observations led to the initial public
hearing and meeting on safety and design, which the Board convened on December
7, 2005. At that hearing, the Board
explored DOE’s safety policies, expectations and processes for integrating
safety early into the design and construction of new facilities and the
modification of existing facilities. The
Board heard testimony from DOE and NNSA officials concerning recognition of
deficiencies in this area, and DOE's and NNSA’s plans and commitments to revise
its relevant Orders and Manuals to ensure integration of safety early in the
design and construction process. This
second hearing on safety in design will focus on actions taken by DOE and NNSA
to improve incorporation of safety early in the design process, and will
examine progress concerning relevant commitments made prior to and at the first
hearing. The Board again expects to hear
presentations from both DOE and NNSA senior management officials concerning
integration of safety into design. The
Board may also collect any other information relevant to health or safety of
the workers and the public, with respect to safety in design,
that may warrant Board action. The
public hearing portion of this proceeding is authorized by 42 U.S.C. § 2286b.
CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: Brian
Grosner, Deputy General Manager, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625
Indiana Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004-2901, (800) 788-4016. This is a toll-free number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Requests
to speak at the hearing may be submitted in writing or by telephone. The Board asks that commentators describe the
nature and scope of their oral presentation. Those who contact the Board prior to close of
business on July 18, 2006, will be scheduled for time slots, beginning at
approximately 12:30 p.m. The Board will
post a schedule for those speakers who have contacted the Board before the
hearing. The posting will be made at the
entrance to the Public Hearing Room at the start the 9:00 a.m. hearing and meeting.
Anyone who wishes to comment or provide
technical information or data may do so in writing, either in lieu of, or in
addition to, making an oral presentation. The Board Members may question presenters to
the extent deemed appropriate. Documents
will be accepted at the meeting or may be sent to the Defense Nuclear
Facilities Safety Board’s Washington, DC office. The Board will hold the record open until
August 19, 2006, for the receipt of additional materials. A transcript of the meeting will be made
available by the Board for inspection by the public at the Defense Nuclear
Facilities Safety Board’s Washington office and at DOE’s public reading room at
the DOE Federal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585. The Board specifically reserves its right to
further schedule and otherwise regulate the course of the meeting and hearing,
to recess, reconvene, postpone, or adjourn the meeting and hearing, conduct further
reviews, and otherwise exercise its power under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954,
as amended.
Dated: June 7, 2006
A. J. Eggenberger,
Chairman.