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[DOE LETTERHEAD]
RICHLAND OPERATIONS OFFICE
October 24, 1997
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:
DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD (DNFSB) RECOMMENDATION 924 REVISION 2N, DOCUMENTATION SUBMITTED IN EVIDENCE OF COMPLETION OF COMMITMENT 5.2.2(d)
The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) has completed Commitment 5.2.2(d), requiring a deliverable to "Provide a schedule for key initial systems engineering products on the TWRS Immobilized LowActivity Waste Interim Storage Project (Project W465)," and proposes closure of this commitment. This commitment is identified in the DNFSB Recommendation 924 Implementation Plan Revision 2N, "Improving The Systems Engineering Approach and Management Practices of the Hanford Site Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS)."
The enclosure to this letter describes the use of systems engineering in the execution of TWRS Project W465 as well as a timetable of documents to be produced, from initial Project authorization through generation. but not through review of detailed designs. This timetable includes systems engineering elements, deliverables designed to satisfy those elements, activity numbers for those activities which are ongoing or planned, and a schedule of dates when these activities were or will be completed. The planned activities are from the TWRS MultiYear Work Plan, and are under change control. The TWRS System Engineering Management Policy. TWRS System Engineering Management Plan, and the TWRS System Engineering Implementing Procedures serve as the basis for generating the listed activities.
We are completing an evaluation of systems engineering processes on Project W465, as called for in Commitment 5.2.2(c) of the subject DNFSB recommendation. The results of this evaluation, which will be reported to the DNFSB by April 30, 1998, will form the basis for implementation of improvements to systems engineering on Project W465.
If you have any questions, please contact me, or your staff may contact William J. Taylor, Director of the Waste Disposal Division, on (509) 3723864.
Sincerely,
John D. Wagoner
Manager
Enclosure
Enclosure
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESPONSE TO DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RECOMMENDATION 924 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, REVISION 2N, COMMITMENT 5.2.2(d)
Background
The mission of the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Immobilized Lowactivity Waste Storage and Disposal Project is to receive the certified immobilized lowactivity waste packages produced by the privatized tank waste treatment contractors, transport the packages to an engineered storage/disposal facility, and store/dispose of the packages. The mission includes constructing and operating immobilized lowactivity waste interim storage and disposal facilities for both Phase I and Phase II privatized vitrification production, and also developing and operating a transportation system for moving the packages from the private contractors to the storage and disposal facility. In addition, the Immobilized Lowactivity Waste Storage and Disposal Project mission includes developing closure procedures and obtaining authorization from the U.S. Department of EnergyHeadquarters (DOE-HQ) via permitting and performance assessment analyses either for direct immobilized lowactivity waste package disposal or for monitoring and subsequent redesignation of the storage facility as a permanent disposal system. The Immobilized Lowactivity Waste Interim Storage Project, Project W465, is the first capital construction project to be derived from the Immobilized Lowactivity Waste Storage and Disposal Project. The mission of Project W465 has been derived through the TWRS Mission Analysis and Functional Requirements Analysis for the Immobilized Lowactivity Waste Storage and Disposal Project, (Knutson, 1995 and Murkowski, 1995).
Project W465 Scope
The scope of Project W465 is to provide a facility and capabilities for transport and interim storage of immobilized lowactivity waste. The recommended path forward entails retrofit modification of the existing grout vault storage facilities (Burbank, 1996 and Murkowski, 1996). These vaults were initially constructed by the Grout Vault Construction Project (Project B-714). Project W465 is proposed as a new fiscal year (FY) 2000 line item. Project W465 is estimated to provide 3.5 years of storage capacity for immobilized lowactivity waste product from privatization. Project W465 was scoped for storage rather than disposal because early program planning indicated that disposal authorization would not be achievable in time to support privatization start up. The Immobilized Lowactivity Waste Storage and Disposal Project is currently identifying new projects to provide additional storage/disposal capacity after Project W465.
Project W465 Status
Prior to project authorization, the Immobilized Lowactivity Waste Storage and Disposal Project established the following Systems Engineering bases for Project W465. These documents are also shown in the timetable listing as complete.
| 1. | The functional requirements and the mission for immobilized lowactivity waste storage were identified consistent with the TWRS Mission Analysis and functional requirements and further project decomposition, (Murkowski, 1995). | |
| 2. | Alternative immobilized lowactivity waste storage architectures and evaluation criteria were identified (Murkowski, 1996). | |
| 3. | The decision statement, responsibilities, strategy, criteria, schedule. and basis for selecting the Project W465 architecture were identified (Washenfelder, 1996). | |
| 4. | Engineering analyses of alternatives were prepared (Burbank, 1996). | |
| 5. | A letter of recommendation with a preferred alternative was sent to RL (Murkowski, 1996). | |
| 6. | DOE concurred with Westinghouse Hanford Company's recommendation for project W465 scope (Taylor, 1996). |
Project W465 received DOE authorization to proceed into conceptual design (Alm, 1996). Project W465 will complete the conceptual design early in FY 1998, and is scheduled for project capital funding validation in April 1998.
Project W465 staff will continue to follow the project/administrative systems engineering principles identified in the TWRS Systems Engineering Management Plan (WHCSDWMSEMP002) until further clarified during FY 1998 when a Project W465 Systems Engineering Management Plan is scheduled for completion.
Planned Deliverables
In response to the DNFSB commitment, the following table includes tasks/deliverables to be performed or delivered for Project W465 as identified by the TWRS Systems Engineering Management Policy, TWRS Systems Engineering Management Plan, and TWRS Systems Engineering Implementing Procedures. The systems engineering guidance deliverable categories were arranged in relative order in which they might be performed by a project. Project W465 activities/deliverables from FY 1998 planning were then mapped into the systems engineering tasks and deliverables, and sorted by date. The listing includes those deliverables currently scheduled to occur prior to June 2000, the first review of detailed designs (Preliminary Detailed Design, Title 1). This listing assumes all deliverables are required and does not account for grading that is expected to occur with a project systems engineering management plan. The description of the deliverables also includes the schedule identification number pulled from the project schedule.
The deliverables listed are those being prepared by Project W465 or the Immobilized Lowactivity Waste Storage and Disposal Project. There exists other TWRS, Lockheed Martin Hanford Corporation (LMHC) FDH and DOE efforts that contribute to the implementation of systems engineering. As noted previously, a project specific Systems Engineering Management Plan is scheduled for FY 1998. This effort is anticipated to address the tailoring or grading of systems engineering requirements for Project W465.
References
Burbank, D.A., Alternatives Generation and Analysis Report for Immobilized
LowLevel Waste Interim Storage Architecture, WHCSDW465AGA001, 1996.
Taylor, W. J. to President, Westinghouse Hanford Company, Milestone Completion "Issue
LowLevel Waste Interim Storage Engineering Evaluation," September 27, 1996.
Piper, L. L., Justification of Mission Need, Initial Phase I Immobilized Low Activity
Waste Interim Storage, November 27, 1996.
Knutson, B., Tank Waste Remediation System Mission Analysis, WHCSDWMMAR008,
Rev. 0, September 18, 1995.
Tank Waste Remediation System functions and Requirements, WHCSDWMFRD020,
Rev. B, October 1995.
R. J. Murkowski to P. E. LaMont, "Functional Requirements Immobilized Low-Level
Waste Interim Storage," 9556303, November 29, 1995.
Letter, R. J. Murkowski to P. E. LaMont, "Immobilized LowLevel Waste Interim
Storage Alternatives,'' 960431, January 30, 1996.
Letter, D.J. Washenfelder to R.J. Murkowski, "Immobilized LowLevel Waste Interim
Storage Architecture Selection Decision Plan," 9652215, May 15, 1996.
Letter, R. J. Murkowski to P. E. LaMont, "Alternatives Generations and Analysis
Report for Immobilized LowLevel Waste Interim Storage Architecture"
WHCSDW465AGA001, 9654045, September 10, 1996.
Letter, W. J. Taylor to President, Westinghouse Hanford Company, "Milestone
Completion, Issue LowLevel Waste Interim Storage Engineering Evaluation,"
96WDD149, September 27, 1996.
Letter, A. L. Alm to Manager, DOE Richland Operations Office, "Approval of Critical
Decisions for Phase I Immobilized HighLevel and LowActivity Waste Interim Storage and
Tank Farm Restoration and Safe Operations Projects (Projects W464, W465 and
W314)," December 26, 1996.
Letter, Carl J. Paperiello, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to J. E. Kinzer, U.S.
Department of Energy, "Classification of Hanford LowActivity Tank Waste
Fraction," June 9, 1997.
Mouette, P., Preliminary Safety Evaluation for Project W465, Immobilized Low
-Activity Waste Interim Storage, HDSDW465PSE001, Rev. 0, October 1997.
Letter, R. J. Murkowski to J. D. Thomson, "Storage and Disposal Project Risk
Management Plan," 7330095011, December 29, 1995.
Timetable Listing is available on pdf. If you need a hardcopy, please contact this office at (202) 586-3887.