[SOE LETTERHEAD]

 

August 30, 2006

 

MEMORANDUM FOR DISTRIBUTION

 

FROM:                        SAMUEL W. BODMAN

 

SUBJECT:                  Establishment of the Office of Health, Safety and Security

 

By this memorandum, I hereby disestablish the Office of Security and Safety Performance Assurance (SSA) and the Office of Environment, Safety and Health

(EH).  I am hereby establishing the Office of Health, Safety and Security (HSS) to perform many of the functions formerly performed by EH and SSA.  The new HSS office will report directly to the Office of the Secretary and will be headed by Glenn S. Podonsky, who will be the Department’s Chief Health, Safety and Security Officer.

 

The following specific EH and SSA functions will not become part of HSS, and instead will transfer to other program offices or Department officials.  For functions that I am directing to be transferred to one or more of the three Under Secretaries, and except as otherwise specified below, the respective Under Secretary will be responsible for determining whether the transferred function should be carried out by his immediate office or by one of the program offices under his cognizance.  These decisions should be made after consultation with the Deputy Secretary.

 

• Nuclear safety research coordination will transfer to the Under Secretary for Nuclear Security;
• The Department’s Continuity of Government Program will transfer to the Under Secretary for Nuclear Security;
• Support for technical review of authorization bases documents will transfer to each of three Under Secretaries for program under their cognizance;
• Support on safety regulation expectations of newly constructed facilities and new start projects will transfer to each of the three Under Secretaries for programs under their cognizance;
• The Radiological Environment Science Laboratory will transfer to the Under Secretary of Energy, and will be the responsibility of the Office of Nuclear Energy;
• The New Brunswick Laboratory will transfer to the Under Secretary of Science;
• The Office of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Policy and Compliance will transfer to the General Counsel;
• Non-safety related quality assurance program elements will transfer to the Office of Management;
• The foreign travel and exchange visitor program will transfer to the Office of Management.

 

In addition, I am directing that the Office of the Departmental Representative to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board transfer to HSS.

 

These actions are to be made effective immediately.  The Deputy Secretary will oversee the implementation of this reorganization.  I expect Mr. Podonsky, the three Under Secretaries, the General Counsel, and the Director of the Office of Management to prepare appropriate organizational change packages and to determine subordinate employee assignments and related actions in accordance with all applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements.