In addition, it appears that configuration management activities need to be considerably strengthened prior to significant additional physical work on the CMR upgrades. The Board believes these observations merit Department of Energy line management attention. Mr. Steven Krahn of the Board's staff will be available to provide any additional information you may require. Facility electrical maintenance is performed approximately every three years by a site-wide LANL organization, regardless of equipment requirements in accordance with industry standards and vendor recommendations. Reliable power is an essential element of the power distribution system for defense nuclear facilities to ensure safe facility shutdown, limit the spread of contamination, and detect fire and radiological hazards.
Ventilation is necessary to prevent hazardous buildup of hydrogen gas.
There is currently no plan to upgrade the battery ventilation systems. The transformer oil, that provides transformer cooling, is flammable and is a fire hazard if the transformer leaks or fails catastrophically. Electrical calculations required by industry standards for voltage profile, short circuit studies, and protective device coordination were not available. These calculations are necessary in the evaluation of the electrical distribution system's safety and reliability. There is an ongoing staff review to determine if the facility requires emergency backup power and, therefore, requires an additional diesel generator.