[DOE LETTERHEAD]

 

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

 

November 3, 2004

 

The Honorable John T. Conway

Chairman

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

625 Indiana Avenue, NW

Suite 700

Washington, D.C. 20004

 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

 

Enclosed is the “Quarterly Report for the implementation Plan Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 98-2, Accelerating Safety Management Improvements at the Pantex Plant,” for the period July 1 through September 30, 2004, and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) exemption extension approvals for the W87 and W88 weapon programs.

 

During the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2004, NNSA continued to make some progress toward successful execution of all other aspects of the Seamless Safety for the Twenty-First Century (SS-21) process.  As you are aware, the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the rest of the NNSA complex suspended all classified operations in July 2004 to address issues associated with the handling and control of classified removable electronic media (CREM).  The SS-21 activities on all weapons programs were impacted in various ways and some project deliverables were missed.  For example, pursuant to the requirements of Title 10, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Part 820, Subpart E, requests for the temporary continuation of the exemptions for the W87 and W88 were extended to finalize laboratory weapon responses and peer review in support of the Hazard Analysis Report submittals.  In addition, the nuclear explosive safety study extensions were approved until March 31, 2005, for the B83 and W87 programs, and April 30, 2005, for the W88 to compensate for the time lost due to the CREM stand-down.  Similarly, the Standing Management Team is in the process of revising Issue I of the Integrated Weapon Activity Plan that was approved July 14, 2004 for CREM related impacts.

 

Twenty-four out of twenty-seven commitments in the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 98-2 have been delivered and three remain outstanding.  If you have questions, please call me at 202-586-4879 or have your staff contact Mr. Michael Brown at 505-845-6258.

 

Sincerely,

 

M. Schoenbauer

Acting Assistant Deputy Administrator

for Military Application and

Stockpile Operations

Defense Programs

 

5 Enclosures

Quarterly Report for the Implementation

  Plan DNFSB Recommendation 98-2

NESS Extension for the W87 Weapon Program

NESS Extension for the W88 Weapon Program

NESS Extension for the B83-0/1 Weapon Program

Approval of Exemption Extension Request for

  10CFR830, Subpart B

 

cc w/enclosures

J. McConnell, DNFSB

W. Andrews, DNFSB

A. Matteucci, DNFSB

M. Whitaker, DR-1

S. Erhart, PXSO