[DOE LETTERHEAD]
February 5, 2003
The Honorable John
T. Conway
Chairman
Defense Nuclear
Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana
Avenue, NW, Suite 700
Washington, D.C.
20004
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The purpose of
this letter is to update the status reported to you in my December 27, 2002,
letter concerning commitments 110,114, and 118 of the Board’s Recommendation
2000-l and Revision 2 of the approved Implementation Plan, dated July 22, 2002.
Milestone 118,
“Complete fuel removal of 957 metric tons heavy metal (MTHM) from the K-West
Basin to the Cold Vacuum Drying Facility (CVDF),” was completed on January 7,
2003, with the removal of Multi Canister
Overpack 185. Fuel transfer from K-East
Basin into K-West Basin continues on schedule.
Milestone 114,
“Package remaining alloys to meet DOE-STD-3013 criteria” was completed by
thermal stabilization and packaging of 31 alloys and brushings associated with
alloys. Work began on October 18, 2002,
and was completed on November 25, 2002.
The Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) continues to
work with DOE-HQ to ensure that this material is represented in the Material
Inventory Surveillance (MIS) Program.
Additional sampling requirements that may be needed to satisfy elements
of the MIS program are being evaluated to ensure the alloys are properly
represented.
For Milestone 110,
“Resolve weld porosity issues associated with metals” RL and the Savannah River
Operations Office (SR) have achieved a resolution.
Each of the 358
outer cans will be re-welded unless radiographs acceptable to SR demonstrate
compliance with the 3013 Standard and the SR Material Acceptance Criteria. This work will be completed as described in
the enclosed letter.
If you have any
further questions, please call me or Paul Golan at (202) 586-0738.
Sincerely,
Jessie Hill
Roberson
Assistant
Secretary for
Environmental
Management
cc: Mark Whitaker, S-3.1
Keith Klein, RL