[DOE LETTERHEAD]

October 25, 2001

The Honorable John T. Conway
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana Avenue, NW, Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20004-2901

Dear Mr. Chairman:

With this letter, I am pleased to report completion of a commitment found in the Department's 2000-l Implementation Plan. The following commitment is proposed for closure:

229 Complete dissolution of RFETS scrub alloy at SRS. - September 2001

Dissolution of the scrub alloy was completed on September 6, 2001, I would also like to take this opportunity to update you on the status of the plutonium metals repackaging milestone at Hanford, Commitment number 110.

Brushing and repackaging of plutonium metals and associated corrosion products at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) were completed on September 27, 200l. A total of 352 metals and their corrosion products were stabilized and packaged in accordance with DOE-STD-3013. Most (298) were brushed and packaged as metal, and the remainder were thermally stabilized and packaged as oxides.

Some of the welds on the outer containers were found to have measurable porosity that exceeded criteria in ASME code section 8. The staffs at the PFP and Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) are evaluating the cause for the porosity and expect preliminary results by October 31, 2001. Until the porosity issue is resolved, welding operations have been temporarily suspended.

We continue to closely track progress on all Recommendation 2000-l commitments and will keep you and your staff apprised of our progress. If you have any questions, please contact me at (202) 586-5151.

Sincerely,

David G. Huizenga
Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Integration and Disposition
Office of Environmental Management

cc:
Whitaker, S-3.1