[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 52527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26633]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


DOE Implementation Plan for 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). Under section 315(e) of the Atomic Energy 
Act of 1954, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 2286d(e), the Department of Energy 
must transmit an implementation plan on Recommendation 97-1 to the 
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board after acceptance of the 
Recommendation by the Secretary. The Department's implementation plan 
was sent to the Safety Board on September 29, 1997, and is available 
for review in the Department of Energy Public Reading Rooms.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, data, views, or arguments concerning the 
implementation plan to: Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, 
SW, Washington, D.C. 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Tseng, Director of the 
Nuclear Materials Stabilization Task Group in the Office of 
Environmental Management, Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20585.

    Issued in Washington, D.C., on October 2, 1997.
Mark B. Whitaker, Jr.,
Departmental Representative to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety 
Board.

September 29, 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: We are pleased to forward the Department's 
implementation plan for addressing the issues raised in the Defense 
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's Recommendation 97-1 concerning the 
safe storage of uranium-233 material. The Department assessed the 
safety issues associated with the recommendation in terms of the 
history of uranium-233. The primary safety issue being addressed 
with the implementation plan is the lack of material 
characterization and uncertainty of storage conditions for uranium-
233.
    As noted in my April 25, 1997, letter to you, the Department is 
using a systems engineering approach to manage the implementation of 
this recommendation. Recognizing that it will take time to perform 
the systems engineering efforts, we are concurrently taking near-
term actions as described in the implementation plan to further 
assess material characterization and storage conditions and make 
necessary changes to mitigate interim identified risks.
    The implementation plan was prepared by a Task Team reporting to 
the Assistant Secretaries for Defense Programs and Environmental 
Management, in coordination with other affected Headquarters and 
Field offices. Mr. John Tseng, Director of the Nuclear Materials 
Stabilization Task Group in the Office of Environmental Management, 
is the responsible manager for implementation of the plan. He can be 
reached at (202) 586-0383.

        Sincerely,
Federico Pena

[FR Doc. 97-26633 Filed 10-7-97; 8:45 am]
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