[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 207 (Thursday, October 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55136-55137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27470]
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DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD
Sunshine Act Meeting
Pursuant to the provisions of the ``Government in the Sunshine
Act'' (5 U.S.C. Sec. 552b), notice is hereby given of the Defense
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's (Board) meeting to inform the public
on the status of the Board's oversight of the Department of Energy's
(DOE) initiatives to simplify existing safety orders and to promulgate
new rules.
time and date: November 7, 1996, 9:00 a.m.
place: The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Public Hearing
Room, 625 Indiana Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20004.
matters to be considered: 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2286a requires that the Board
review and evaluate the content and implementation of standards
relating to the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of
defense nuclear facilities of the Department of Energy. Those standards
include rules, DOE safety orders, and other requirements. Since 1990,
the Board, acting pursuant to its enabling statute, has issued a series
of recommendations designed to foster the development and
implementation of an effective standards-based nuclear safety program
within DOE.
The Secretary of Energy has accepted each of these recommendations.
In the meantime, DOE has engaged in a number of initiatives designed to
simplify existing safety orders and the promulgation of new safety
rules. The streamlining of safety orders affecting defense nuclear
facilities and the promulgation of new rules has required the Board to
commit substantial resources to assure that DOE did not eliminate sound
engineering practices codified in existing safety orders that are
necessary to adequately protect the public health and safety. During
the past two years, the Board's staff has conducted reviews of all DOE
revisions to safety orders and rules.
DOE's efforts continue, as does the Board's oversight to ensure
full development and implementation of safety standards tailored to
each DOE defense nuclear facility's hazards. The Board believes that
the public interest will be served by holding a public meeting to
assess DOE's progress in streamlining the safety orders and
promulgating new safety rules pertaining to its defense nuclear
facilities, and to assure that DOE's activities in streamlining DOE's
nuclear safety order system and converting to its new regulatory system
do not eliminate the sound engineering practices now codified in its
safety orders that are necessary to adequately protect public health
and safety.
contact person for more information: Robert M. Andersen, General
Counsel, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625 Indiana Avenue,
NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004, (800) 788-4016. This is a toll-
free number.
supplementary information: The Board has a responsibility for oversight
of DOE's development and implementation of nuclear health and safety
requirements as a transition is being made from the use of safety
orders to rules. The Board understands DOE's desire to streamline its
system of directives. Nevertheless, the Board continues to be concerned
that the conversion process not compromise the requirements-based
safety program not embodied in the DOE's safety orders and existing
regulations.
During the past two years, the Board has held three Board meetings,
open to the public, regarding its review of DOE efforts to revise and
improve nuclear safety requirements. This will be the fourth in that
series. On May 31, 1995, the Board met to lay the groundwork for a full
assessment of how Standards/Requirements Identification Documents,
rules, orders, and other safety requirements are integrated into an
overall safety management program for defense nuclear facilities. This
meeting was continued on July 18, 1995. The Board's staff reported on
their comprehensive review of existing orders and rules, their
adequacy, and the status of DOE revisions to safety orders and rules.
Individual Board members presented their views. Then, in a joint
meeting with DOE officials on September 20, 1996, DOE's representatives
reported on the status of DOE's review and revision of nuclear safety
orders and rules, and the Board identified safety issues requiring
resolution, including inappropriate application of ``sunset
provisions'' to safety orders, the need for ``crosswalks'' showing the
disposition of requirements in superseded safety orders, the need to
preserve sound engineering practice embodied in guidance documents. The
Board reserved its right to further comment after it completed its
integrated review of how rules, orders, and other safety requirements
are being revised and integrated into an overall safety management
program for defense nuclear facilities. The Board reiterated its
concern that DOE's streamlining and conversion process not compromise
the requirements-based safety program currently embodied in contracts
which incorporate applicable DOE safety orders.
In accordance with the statute establishing the Board, a public
meeting will be conducted to assess DOE's activities in streamlining
DOE's nuclear safety order system and converting to a regulatory
program and to determine if DOE is taking sufficient steps to assure
that this effort not eliminate the engineering practices now codified
in its safety orders that are necessary to adequately protect public
health and safety. To assist the Board and inform the public,
individual Board members will present their views, and the Board's
staff will brief the Board on several related topics, including, but
not limited to:
1. A comprehensive report on the status of staff reviews conducted
over the past two years of DOE's revision of safety orders, rules, and
``crosswalks'' which track the original set of fifty-two orders of
interest to the Board through the revision process and/or conversion to
rules.
2. Identification and discussion of the superseding streamlined
order system.
3. DOE's new rules affecting health and safety at defense nuclear
facilities.
4. Actions taken to address the Board's concerns that the safety
envelope currently in place to ensure adequate protection of the public
health and safety is not inadvertently compromised by DOE's effort to
streamline its directive.
5. Lessons learned regarding the managerial tools needed to assure
that DOE's activities in streamlining its nuclear safety order system
and converting to a regulatory program not eliminate the engineering
practices now codified in its safety orders that are necessary to
adequately protect public
[[Page 55137]]
health and safety at defense nuclear facilities. Specifically, DOE's
development and use of ``crosswalks'' used to track the disposition of
good engineering practices embodied in the superseded safety orders.
6. Further Board actions needed to ensure that there is no
relaxation of commitments made to achieve compliance with safety
requirements in contracts while proposed rules are developed and
processed.
DOE officials will be present to provide additional Departmental
views, comment and such additional information the Board may require.
A transcript of this proceeding will be made available by the Board
for inspection by the public at the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety
Board's Washington office.
The Board reserves its right to further schedule and otherwise
regulate the course of these meetings and hearings, to recess,
reconvene, and otherwise exercise its power under the Atomic Energy Act
of 1954, as amended.
Dated: October 22, 1996.
Kenneth M. Pusater,
General Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-27470 Filed 10-22-96; 3:11 am]
BILLING CODE 3670-01-M
