[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

December 31, 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:

 

I am pleased to inform you that the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) completed two actions that are in response to Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Commitments.

 

The first action is the preparation and submittal of DOE-STD-XXXX-03, specific Administrative Controls, (enclosed) into the DOE Technical Standards Program coordination process on December 30, 2003.  This action is responsive to Commitment 4.2.2 in the Department’s Implementation Plan for DNFSB Recommendation 2002-3.  This proposed DOE Technical Standard will be subject to a 60-day DOE-wide review and comment period and will be finalized when the comments are resolved.  When finalized, it will be referenced in DOE-STD-3009 and DOE-STD-3011 to complete Commitment 4.2.2 as noted in your December 8, 2003, letter to the Secretary.  We will work with your staff to complete this action in a timely manner.

 

The second action is the issuance of the revised DOE Safety Management Functions, Responsibilities and Authorities Manual (FRAM), DOE M 411.l-1C (enclosed).  Issuance of the FRAM completes Commitment 4.1.5 of the Department’s Software Quality Assurance Implementation Plan. It also is responsive to Commitment 1.4 in the Department’s Quality Assurance Improvement Plan for Defense Nuclear Facilities transmitted to you in the Secretary’s letter of November 22, 2002.  Your staff was instrumental in restructuring this new FRAM, particularly providing comments on the new format and content.

 

Please contact me at (202) 586-6151, if you have questions.

 

Sincerely,

 

Beverly A. Cook

Assistant Secretary

Environment, Safety and Health

 

Enclosures

DOE M 411.1-1C

Draft DOE Standard – Specific Administrative Controls

 

cc:

M. Whitaker, DR-1