[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 14007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5720]


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DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD


Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register CITATION OF PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: 77 FR 479 (January 
5, 2012); FR Doc. 2012-44.

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED TIME AND DATE OF THE MEETING: Session I: 1 p.m.-4 
p.m., March 22, 2012; Session II: 6 p.m.-9 p.m., March 22, 2012, Three 
Rivers Convention Center, 7016 West Grandridge Boulevard, Kennewick, 
Washington 99352.

CHANGES IN THE MEETING: The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 
(Board) is expanding the matters to be considered in Session I of the 
hearing and meeting. Session I will also include testimony from the 
Department of Energy (DOE) and its contractors concerning the status of 
actions related to unresolved technical safety issues in the design of 
the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) and infrastructure 
needs at the Tank Farms. The Board will also examine the relationship 
between the resolution of these unresolved safety issues and 
development of a sound nuclear safety strategy. To illustrate these 
challenges, the Board will explore at least two areas of technical 
concern: erosion/corrosion and pulse jet mixing.
    Session II of the hearing concerns the status of actions related to 
the DOE's implementation plan for the Board's Recommendation 2011-1, 
Safety Culture at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. Session 
II includes several panels of witnesses, including a panel of DOE 
Headquarters senior management personnel who will discuss DOE's plan 
for corrective actions for safety culture concerns and management/
resolution of safety and technical issues across the defense nuclear 
facilities complex. Since this panel involves just headquarters 
personnel, the Board has determined that it would be more beneficial to 
convene the headquarters panel in Washington, DC, at a later date. The 
Board will therefore be reconvening a separate supplemental panel 
session, a continuation of hearing Session II, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., on 
Tuesday, May 22, 2012, at the Board's Washington, DC, Headquarters 
located at 625 Indiana Avenue NW., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20004-
2001.
    The Board's instructions for public participation for Sessions I 
and II of the March 22, 2012 hearing are described in the Federal 
Register notice (77 FR 479) for that hearing. Public participation for 
the reconvened Session II hearing in Washington, DC, is also invited. 
The Board is setting aside time at the end of the reconvened Session of 
the hearing for presentations and comments from the public. Requests to 
speak may be submitted in writing or by telephone. The Board asks that 
commenters describe the nature and scope of their oral presentations. 
For the continuation of Session II, those who contact the Board prior 
to close of business on May 18, 2012, will be scheduled to speak. At 
the beginning of continued hearing, the Board will post a schedule for 
speakers at the entrance to the hearing room. Anyone who wishes to 
comment or provide technical information or data may do so in writing, 
either in lieu of, or in addition to, making an oral presentation. The 
Board Members may question presenters to the extent deemed appropriate. 
Documents will be accepted at the hearing or may be sent to the Board's 
Washington, DC, office. The hearing will be presented live through 
Internet video streaming. A link to the presentation will be available 
on the Board's Web site (www.dnfsb.gov). A transcript of the hearing, 
along with a DVD video recording, will be made available by the Board 
for inspection and viewing by the public at the Board's Washington, DC, 
office and at DOE's public reading room at the DOE Federal Building, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585. The Board 
specifically reserves its right to further schedule and otherwise 
regulate the course of the meeting and hearing, to recess, reconvene, 
postpone, or adjourn the meeting and hearing, conduct further reviews, 
and otherwise exercise its power under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 
as amended.
    The Board also stated in the original Federal Register notice that 
the hearing record would remain open until April 23, 2012, for the 
receipt of additional materials. As a result of the continuation of 
Session II, the Board now extends the period of time for which the full 
hearing record will remain open to June 23, 2012.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: Brian Grosner, General Manager, 
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625 Indiana Avenue NW., Suite 
700, Washington, DC 20004-2901, (800) 788-4016. This is a toll-free 
number.

    Dated: March 5, 2012.
Peter S. Winokur,
Chairman.
[FR Doc. 2012-5720 Filed 3-6-12; 11:15 am]
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