[SOE LETTERHEAD]
June 4, 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:
We are pleased to forward the
enclosed Implementation Plan (Plan) for Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety
Board’s (Board) Recommendation 2002-2, Department of Energy Plan to Address
and Resolve Weapons Laboratory Support of the Defense Nuclear Complex.
This Plan addresses the
Department’s need to re-emphasize the policy that the nuclear weapons program
is the top priority among all activities at the weapons laboratories -- Los
Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Sandia
National Laboratories (Laboratories); identify senior weapons point of contact
at each laboratory and their responsibilities; and identify a Federal function
at each site office managing a weapons laboratory contract to ensure that
requirements related to safety of operations of the defense nuclear weapons
complex are being tracked and met.
Specifically, the Department is taking the following actions to address
its needs:
·
The
Secretary will re-emphasize that the nuclear weapons program work is his
highest priority and that it takes precedence over work done for others by the
Laboratories except as specified by the Homeland Security Act, which states
that pursuant to arrangements entered into by the Secretary of Energy and the
Secretary of Homeland Security:
“Notwithstanding any other law governing the administration, mission,
use or operations of any of the Department of Energy national laboratories and
sites, such laboratories and sites are authorized to accept and perform work
for the Secretary [of Homeland Security] consistent with the resources
provided, and perform such work on an equal basis to other missions at the
laboratory and not on a non-interference basis with other missions of such
laboratory or site.” Pub. L. 107-296, §
309(a)(2). Accordingly, the Department
will update its current policy to communicate the Secretary’s priority for the
nuclear weapons program.
·
The
Laboratories will review and revise the process for ensuring a single point of
contact is clearly identified for each weapon system. This information will be disseminated to the appropriate personnel
in the weapons complex. Additionally,
NNSA will request that the Laboratories review their existing processes for
weapons point of contact selection, training and mentoring, and succession
planning for continuous improvement.
The Laboratories will certify to NNSA these processes are in place and
will describe any plans for process improvement.
·
NNSA
will ensure that the Laboratories provide a deliverable to NNSA describing:
basic qualifications and detailed roles, responsibilities and authorities of the
weapons points of contact; the organization/systems in place for providing
point of contact resources; how empowerment, resolution of emergent safety
issues, and prioritization are accomplished; and the process of communicating
point of contact roles and responsibilities within the Laboratories. NNSA will also ask the Laboratories to
identify and implement any process improvements deemed necessary.
·
NNSA
will ensure the contracting officer at the DOE site office will, appoint a
designee for overseeing work of the laboratory at the defense nuclear weapons
sites. This person will ensure
laboratory support requirements related to safety of operations of the defense
nuclear weapons complex are tracked and met within the current resources on the
contract. Additionally, the Standing
Management Team charter will be revised reflecting the new business approach to
the lab contract management.
I have assigned Mr. Martin
Schoenbauer, Office of Nuclear Weapons Stockpile, as my Responsible Manager for
executing this Plan. Mr. Schoenbauer
can be reached at (301) 903-3489.
We appreciate the advice and
support provided by the Board and its staff during the development of this
Plan.
Sincerely,