40808 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 146 / Wednesday, July 30, 1997 / Notices

Issued in Washington, DC, on July 14,

1997.

Mark B. Whitaker, Jr.,

Departmental Representative to the Defense

Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

The Secretary of Energy

Washington, DC 20585

July 14, 1997.

The Honorable John T. Conway,

Chairman, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety

Board, 625 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Suite

700, Washington, DC 20004.

Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter

acknowledges receipt of Recommendation

97–2 issued on May 19, 1997, addressing the

need for improved criticality safety practices

and programs to alleviate potential adverse

impacts on safety and productivity of

Department of Energy operations. The

Department accepts Recommendation 97–2

to assure the continuation of criticality safety

at defense nuclear facilities.

To acquire a common understanding of

issues raised in Recommendation 97–2, we

surveyed criticality safety professionals at

our major sites. The survey identified the

following three general understandings

which will be the foundation for the

Implementation Plan.

• The Department has not efficiently

integrated criticality safety as part of work

planning and implementation uniformly

across the complex.

• We are aware of emerging criticality

safety issues as the Department transitions

from nuclear weapons production to

materials stabilization; facilities deactivation,

decontamination and decommissioning; and

packaging, transportation and dispositioning

of fissile materials.

• The Department needs to develop new

guidance and technical support resources to

address criticality safety issues.

The Department recognized the need to

integrate safety into its work. Initiatives are

being implemented, as appropriate, to apply

graded or tailored approaches to the work

and any associated hazards. We are focussing

on improved work performance and feedback

as part of an overall Integrated Safety

Management program.

The Department is aware of the challenges

posed by the need to stabilize nuclear

materials, deactivate contaminated facilities,

and provide secure and safe storage of fissile

materials. Therefore, our response to

Recommendation 97–2 will be tailored to

address criticality safety concerns where they

exist. In conjunction with key line managers,

the Department will form a group of

criticality safety experts from the 2

Department of Energy and contractor

communities to provide advice and

assistance in development of a

Recommendation 97–2 Implementation Plan.

To ensure efficient operations of this

criticality safety program and to build upon

the successes of activities under way, we

plan to integrate continuing actions under

the 93–2 Implementation Plan into the 97–2

Implementation Plan, and propose closure of

Recommendation 93–2.

Dr. Robin Staffin, Deputy Assistant

Secretary for Research and Development,

Office of Defense Programs; and Mr. David

Huizenga, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary

for Nuclear Materials and Facilities

Stabilization, Office of Environmental

Management, are the responsible comanagers for preparing the Implementation

Plan. Dr. Staffin will serve as the principal

point of contact with the Board and will

work with you and your staff to develop an

acceptable Implementation Plan meeting our

mutual expectations.

Sincerely,

Federico Pen ̃ a

[FR Doc. 97–20020 Filed 7–29–97; 8:45 am]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Rocky Flats

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of

the Federal Advisory Committee Act

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

hereby given of the following Advisory

Committee meeting: Environmental

Management Site-Specific Advisory

Board (EM SSAB), Rocky Flats.

DATES: Thursday, August 7, 1997, 6:00

p.m.–9:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Westminster City Hall

(Lower-level Multi-purpose Room),4800

West 92nd Avenue, Westminster, CO.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken

Korkia, Board/Staff Coordinator, EM

SSAB-Rocky Flats, 9035 North

Wadsworth Parkway, Suite 2250,

Westminster, CO 80021, phone: (303)

420–7855, fax: (303) 420–7579.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose of the Board: The purpose of

the Board is to make recommendations

to DOE and its regulators in the areas of

environmental restoration, waste

management, and related activities.

Purpose of the Meeting: The Board

will hear from an independent

contractor it hired to review Rocky Flats

environmental monitoring systems.

During the spring of 1996, a Rocky Flats

Community Needs Assessment (RFCNA)

was conducted to identify the

community’s needs and concerns during

the cleanup of Rocky Flats. One of the

themes emerging from the study was

that the public wanted to ensure they

were protected from off-site radioactive

releases. Having a reliable, continuous

environmental monitoring program is a

necessary component of that protection.

As a follow-up to the RFCNA, the Board

decided to contract with an outside,

independent organization to review and

assess the current environmental

monitoring systems in place at the site.

This February, the firm Parker-Hall, Inc.

(PHI) of Boise, Idaho, was selected to

perform the review. PHI will now

present the results of its study, as well

as recommendations for change.

In addition, the Board will discuss a

draft recommendation prepared by its

Plutonium and Special Nuclear

Materials Committee. The

recommendation addresses

environmental, health, and safety

vulnerabilities associated with highly

enriched uranium; general health and

safety issues; and specific items such as

criticality safety, fire protection, and

management oversight.

Tentative Agenda

1. Parker-Hall, Inc. (PHI) Review,

Results and Recommendations

2. Plutonium and Special Nuclear

Materials Committee draft

recommendation

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 Ken Korkia at the address or

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 Designated Federal

Official is empowered to conduct the

meeting in a fashion that will facilitate

the orderly conduct of business. Each

individual wishing to make public

comment will be provided a maximum

of 5 minutes to present their comments.

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

9:00 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday-Friday,

except Federal holidays. Minutes will

also be available at the Public Reading

Room located at the Board’s office at

9035 North Wadsworth Parkway, Suite

2250, Westminster, CO 80021;

telephone (303) 420–7855. Hours of

operation for the Public Reading Room

are 9:00 am and 4:00 pm on Monday

through Friday. Minutes will also be

made available by writing or calling Deb

Thompson at the Board’s office address

or telephone number listed above.

Issued at Washington, DC, on July 25,

1997.

Rachel Samuel,

Deputy Advisory Committee Management

Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–20023 Filed 7–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P