[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 209 (Friday, October 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58383-58384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28318]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DOE Response to Recommendation 99-1 of the Defense Nuclear
Facilities Safety Board, Safe Storage of Fissionable Material called
``Pits''.
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board published
Recommendation 99-1, concerning the safe storage of fissionable
material called ``pits,'' on August 27, 1999 (64 FR 46894). Under
section 315(e) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 42 U.S.C.
2286d(e), the Department of Energy was required to transmit a response
to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board by October 12, 1999. The
Secretary's response follows.
DATES: Comments, data, views, or arguments concerning the Secretary's
response are due on or before November 29, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Send comments, data, views, or arguments concerning the
Secretary's response to: Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 20585.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David E. Beck, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Military Application and Stockpile Operations, Defense
Programs, Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington DC, 20585.
Issued in Washington, DC, on October 25, 1999.
Mark B. Whitaker, Jr.,
Departmental Representative to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety
Board.
The Honorable John T. Conway,
Chairman, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625 Indiana
Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Department of Energy acknowledges receipt
of Recommendation 99-1, issued on August 11, 1999, and published in
the Federal Register on August 27, 1999, and accepts the Board's
recommendations.
The Department has initiated activities to develop and implement
improved pit storage programs and to develop a shipping container
for transporting pits to the plutonium disposition facility. We also
implemented a pit repackaging program to ensure that pits are stored
in accordance with applicable specifications.
[[Page 58384]]
In support of nuclear material disposition activities,
departmental program offices have been working together to ensure
that timely actions are completed to accomplish defined programmatic
end states. Actions include a systems analysis study to generate
programmatic requirements for a pit shipping container, a review of
pit surveillance data to characterize pit integrity in current
environments, and increasing the pit repackaging rate to 200 pits
per month. The Department will continue these efforts to ensure the
adequacy of complex-wide pit management.
The Department accepts the recommendations contained in
Recommendation 99-1 and will develop an implementation plan to
accomplish the following:
1. Expeditiously resolve the compatibility issues that have the
potential to impact the long-term safe storage of pits. Through a
container surveillance program, the Department will monitor the AL-
R8 Sealed Insert container to ensure its continued quality and
reliability.
2. Ensure that repackaging takes place at an accelerated rate so
that pits are expeditiously placed into containers suited to safe
storage. The actions undertaken in the implementation plan will
focus on ensuring a safe and timely repackaging program. A process
to develop a resource-loaded repackaging schedule will be
established with an initial baseline repackaging rate of 200 per
month.
3. Develop a system of statistical sampling for the AL-R8 Sealed
Insert containers to assess container integrity and to provide
horizons for future repackaging and repackaging rate requirements.
4. Assign a single individual the responsibility and
accountability, along with the necessary resources and authority for
accomplishment of the above.
Mr. David E. Beck, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Military
Application and Stockpile Operations, Defense Programs, (202) 586-
4879, is appointed the manager responsible for preparation of the
implementation plan in accordance with sub-recommendation 4 of the
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board letter. He will work with
you to develop a plan that meets our mutual expectations.
Yours sincerely,
Bill Richardson
[FR Doc. 99-28318 Filed 10-28-99; 8:45 am]
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