[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 92 (Tuesday, May 13, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 26298]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-12496]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DOE Response to Recommendation 97-1 of the Defense Nuclear
Facilities Safety Board, Safe Storage of Uranium-233
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board published
Recommendation 97-1, concerning the safe storage of uranium-233, on
March 11, 1997 (62 FR 11160). Section 315(b) of the Atomic Energy Act
of 1954, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 2286d(b) required the Department of
Energy to transmit a response to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety
Board by April 25, 1997. The Secretary's response follows.
DATES: Comments, data, views, or arguments concerning the Secretary's
response are due on or before June 12, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Send comments, data, views, or arguments concerning the
Secretary's response to: Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625
Indiana Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20004.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Stallman, Deputy Assistant
Manager for Facility Operations, Department of Energy, Idaho Operations
Office, 850 Energy Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401-1563.
Issued in Washington, D.C., on May 7, 1997.
Mark B. Whitaker, Jr.
Departmental Representative to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety
Board.
The Secretary of Energy
Washington, DC 20585
April 25, 1997
The Honorable John T. Conway,
Chairman, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625 Indiana
Avenue, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20004.
Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter acknowledges receipt of your
Recommendation 97-1 issued on March 3, 1997, concerning the safe
storage of uranium-233 material. As you noted in your
recommendation, the Department has recently completed a safety
review of issues associated with highly enriched uranium. The
Department's Highly Enriched Uranium Vulnerability Study identifies
many of the concerns expressed in your recommendation. A management
plan to address the issues in the Highly Enriched Uranium
Vulnerability Study is currently being developed under the
leadership of Defense Programs.
The Department accepts Recommendation 97-1. The process of
assigning organizational responsibility for this effort will require
further review. I am reserving our response to this issue until I
have the opportunity to review the results of ongoing Department
studies related to this matter.
The Department will use a systems engineering approach to manage
the implementation of this recommendation. Needed actions identified
as a result of a systems engineering study will be incorporated into
the Department's budget formulation process and will be worked in
conjunction with other related activities in progress. These
activities include applicable elements of the Department's 94-1
Implementation Plan, the Environmental Management ten-year planning
process, and the Highly Enriched Uranium Vulnerability Management
Plan, currently under development.
It is the Department's understanding that spent nuclear fuel
containing uranium-233 is not within the scope of Recommendation 97-
1. In addition, I understand that uranium-233 safety concerns
related to the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment at Oak Ridge are being
addressed in the Recommendation 94-1 Implementation Plan on
improving schedules for remediation and stabilization of nuclear
materials.
Mr. Robert Stallman, Deputy Assistant Manager for Facility
Operations, Idaho Operations Office, is the responsible manager for
the preparation of the Implementation Plan. He will work with you
and your staff to develop an acceptable Implementation Plan meeting
our mutual expectations. He can be reached at (208) 526-1995.
Sincerely,
Federico F. Pena
[FR Doc. 97-12496 Filed 5-12-97; 8:45 am]
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