05-21052. Sunshine Act Meeting

Pursuant to the provisions of the “Government in the Sunshine Act” (5 U.S.C. 552b), notice is hereby given of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's (Board) public hearing and meeting described below. The Board will conduct a public hearing and meeting pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 2286b and invites any interested persons or groups to present any comments, technical information, or data concerning safety issues related to the matters to be considered.

Time and Date of Meeting:

9 a.m., December 7, 2005.

Place:

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Public Hearing Room, 625 Indiana Avenue, NW., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20004-2001. Additionally, as a part of the Board's E-Government initiative, the meeting will be presented live through Internet video streaming. A link to the presentation will be available on the Board's Web site (http://www.dnfsb.gov).

Status:

Open. While the Government in the Sunshine Act does not require that the scheduled discussion be conducted in a meeting, the Board has determined that an open meeting in this specific case furthers the public interests underlying both the Sunshine Act and the Board's enabling legislation.

Matters to Be Considered:

In this public hearing and meeting, the Board will consider the Department of Energy's (DOE) incorporation of safety into the design and construction of new and modification of existing DOE defense nuclear facilities. The Board is responsible, pursuant to its statutory charter, to review and evaluate the content and implementation of standards relating to the design and construction of such facilities. The Board has recently observed that improvement in the incorporation of safety in the design of certain new defense nuclear facilities may be possible. In this December 7th hearing and meeting, the Board will explore DOE's safety policies, expectations, and processes for integrating safety into design and construction of new and modification of existing facilities. The Board will collect information needed to understand and address any health or safety concerns that may require Board action with respect to safety in design. This will include, but is not limited to, presentations from both DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) senior management officials concerning integration of safety into the design construct. The public hearing portion of this proceeding is authorized by 42 U.S.C. 2286b.

Contact Person for More Information:

Kenneth M. Pusateri, General Manager, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625 Indiana Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004-2901, [phone]. This is a toll-free number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Requests to speak at the hearing may be submitted in writing or by telephone. The Board asks that commentators describe the nature and scope of their oral presentation. Those who contact the Board prior to close of business on December 6, 2005, will be scheduled for time slots, beginning at approximately 11:30 a.m. The Board will post a schedule for those speakers who have contacted the Board before the hearing. The posting will be made at the entrance to the Public Hearing Room at the start of the 9 a.m. hearing and meeting.

Anyone who wishes to comment or provide technical information or data may do so in writing, either in lieu of, or in addition to, making an oral presentation. The Board Members may question presenters to the extent deemed appropriate. Documents will be accepted at the meeting or may be sent to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's Washington, DC, office. The Board will hold the record open until January 7, 2006, for the receipt of additional materials. A transcript of the hearing will be made available by the Board for inspection by the public at the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's Washington office and at DOE's public reading room at the DOE Federal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585.

The Board specifically reserves its right to further schedule and otherwise regulate the course of the meeting and hearing, to recess, reconvene, postpone, or adjourn the meeting and hearing, conduct further reviews, and otherwise exercise its power under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended.

Dated: October 11, 2005.

A.J. Eggenberger,

Chairman.