[SOE LETTERHEAD]
January 26, 2006
The Honorable A. J. Eggenberger
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities
Safety Board
625 Indiana Avenue, NW
Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20004
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Thank your for your December 14,
2005, letter requesting a clear path forward for developing required guidance
to evaluate and document weapon responses. This request relates to Commitment 4.2.2,
Revision 1 of the Department’s Implementation Plan for Recommendation 98-2,
“Accelerating Safety Management Improvements at the Pantex Plant,” dated
October 28, 2002. Commitment 4.2.2
states, “[f]urther guidance on expectations for the
evaluation and documentation of weapon response to potential accident
environments and stimuli will be issued through a Technical Business Practice.”
The Department now intends to
issue this guidance by revising DOE-DP-STD 3016, “Hazard Analysis Reports for
Nuclear Explosive Operations,” and, if deemed necessary, a corresponding update
to the Development and Production Manual, Chapter 11.8, “Integration of Weapon
Response into Authorization Bases at the Pantex Plant.” The schedule for this path forward is provided
in the enclosure. The Department will
consider the comments provided in your letter when making these revisions.
If you have questions, please
contact me or Mr. Marty Schoenbauer, Acting Principal Assistant Deputy
Administrator for Military Application, at (202) 586-2179.
Sincerely,
Samuel W. Bodman
cc: R. Tontodonato, DNFSB
M.
Whitaker, DR-1