32082 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 99 / Monday, May 22, 2000 / Notices

Dated: May 16, 2000.

Michael Cohen,

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and

Secondary Education.

[FR Doc. 00–12760 Filed 5–19–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

DOE Response to Recommendation

2000–2 of the Defense Nuclear

Facilities Safety Board, Configuration

Management, Vital Safety Systems

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Defense Nuclear

Facilities Safety Board Recommendation

2000–2, concerning the control of safety

system configuration, was published in

the Federal Register on March 16, 2000

(65 FR 14255). Under section 315(b) of

the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as

amended, 42 U.S.C. 2286d(b), the

Department of Energy was required to

transmit a response to the Defense

Nuclear Facilities Safety Board by April

28, 2000. The Secretary’s timely

response follows.

DATES: Comments, data, views, or

arguments concerning the Secretary’s

response are due on or before June 21,

2000.

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, DC

20004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Steve Cary, Senior Advisor to the

Assistant Secretary for Environment,

Safety and Health, Department of

Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue

SW, Washington, DC 20585.

Issued in Washington, DC on April 28,

2000.

Michael A. Mikolanis,

Office of the 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 20004–2901

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Department of

Energy (DOE) acknowledges receipt of

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

(Board) Recommendation 2000–2, issued on

March 8, 2000, regarding safety systems vital

to the protection of the public, workers, and

the environment. Along with the analysis

contained in the March 2000 assessment

prepared by the Office of the Assistant

Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health

on the impact of safety program weaknesses

upon ventilation and confinement ventilation

systems that perform safety functions, the

DOE has completed a preliminary analysis of

the issues raised in the Board’s

recommendation. The conclusions drawn

from both of these analyses are consistent

with the safety issues described in

Recommendation 2000–2.

The Department accepts the

recommendations contained in

Recommendation 2000–2 and will develop

an implementation plan to accomplish the

following actions:

1. Development of expert-based guidelines

for surveying and assessing confinement

ventilation systems and implementation of a

plan to identify and correct root cause

deficiencies.

2. Incorporation of open commitments

remaining in the action plan addressing

safety issues related to High Efficiency

Particulate Air filters.

3. Evaluation of existing practices and

industry models for use in establishing a

cognizant system engineer concept to

strengthen the engineering resources

available for facility configuration

management.

4. Assessment of the availability and

sufficiency of DOE expertise, identification of

actions necessary to ensure expertise can be

brought to bear in the life-cycle management

of vital safety systems and that Federal

technical expertise on safety systems is

available to interface with operating

contractors when significant system

problems arise.

5. Review of line oversight of contractor

programs to determine whether safety

systems, as well as programs essential to

system operability, are being included in

those programs. As necessary, identify

corrective actions to improve implementation

of line oversight programs.

I have asked Mr. Steven Cary, Senior

Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for

Environment, Safety and Health, to serve as

the responsible manager for this

recommendation. Mr. Cary will be the

principal point of contact with the Board for

this recommendation, and he will work with

you and your staff to develop an acceptable

implementation plan that meets our mutual

expectations. If you have questions, please

contact him at (202) 586–6151.

Yours sincerely,

Bill Richardson

[FR Doc. 00–12761 Filed 5–19–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Nevada

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

meeting of the Environmental

Management Site-Specific Advisory

Board (EM SSAB), Nevada Test Site.

The Federal Advisory Committee Act

(Pub. L. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770) requires

that public notice of these meetings be

announced in the Federal Register.

DATES: Wednesday, June 7, 2000: 6:30

p.m.–9 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Amargosa Valley

Community Center, 821 E. Farm Road,

Amargosa Valley, NV 89020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kevin Rohrer, U.S. Department of

Energy, Office of Environmental

Management, P.O. Box 98518, Las

Vegas, Nevada 89193–8513, phone:

702–295–0197.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose of the Board: The purpose of

the Advisory Board is to make

recommendations to DOE and its

regulators in the areas of environmental

restoration, waste management, and

related activities.

Tentative Agenda:

1. Discussion and review of additional

underground water test area funding.

Copies of the final agenda will be

available at the meeting. Public

Participation: The meeting is open to

the public. Written statements may be

filed with the Committee either before

or after the meeting. Individuals who

wish to make oral statements pertaining

to agenda items should contact Kevin

Rohrer, at the telephone number listed

above. Requests must be received 5 days

prior to the meeting and reasonable

provision will be made to include the

presentation in the agenda. The Deputy

Designated Federal Officer is

empowered to conduct the meeting in a

fashion that will facilitate the orderly

conduct of business.

Minutes: The minutes of this meeting

will be available for public review and

copying at the Freedom of Information

Public Reading Room, 1E–190, Forrestal

Building, 1000 Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, DC 20585 between 9

a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday–Friday, except

Federal holidays. Minutes will also be

available by writing to Kevin Rohrer at

the address listed above.

Issued at Washington, DC on May 16, 2000.

Rachel M. Samuel,

Deputy Advisory Committee Management

Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–12762 Filed 5–19–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Rocky Flats

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

meeting of the Environmental