[DOE LETTERHEAD]

February 29, 2000
The Honorable John T. Conway
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana Avenue, N, W.
Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20004

Dear Mr. Chairman:

The Implementation Plan (IP) for Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 97-2 requires a quarterly status report. Enclosed is the Department of Energy's quarterly status report for the first quarter, Fiscal Year (FY) 2000.

The IP contains 30 milestones, 26 of which have been completed. All four of the remaining milestones are overdue. Recovery Plans, which were established to complete these milestones, are included in Attachment B to this report. The Management Team is working very hard to complete all remaining milestones and to continue implementing the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program.

Defense Programs (DP) understands the importance of adequate finding for the nuclear criticality safety program. Although full finding for these activities in FY 2000 has been delayed, I am pleased to report that this situation has been rectified, and DP plans to meet its commitment in FY 2000.

While the Department has not completed all Recommendation 97-2 Implementation Plan commitments, we have made significant progress and are working very hard to assure that the nuclear criticality safety program infrastructure is maintained for safe, secure, and efficient fissile material handling. We are committed to working with you in that regard.

Sincerely,

Gilbert G. Weigand
Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Research, Development and Simulation
Defense Programs

Enclosure

cc (w/encl):
M. Whitaker, S-3.1

Note: This enclosure is available in [PDF].