Nuclear safety board holds hearing with DOE on role of oversight, new DOE policy
ECA Staff | 11/29/2018
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) held a public hearing yesterday, November 28 to discuss "DNFSB interface and access to information, facilities, and personnel managed by
the Department of Energy (DOE)" with regard to a new policy the Department set forth in May of this year, Order 140.1, dictating how DOE will cooperate with the DNFSB moving forward.
Testifying at the hearing were DOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) Anne White, and Manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management Jay Mullis. White and Mullis fielded questions from the Board related to Order 140.1's implementation throughout the EM complex. Particularly, the Board and DOE witnesses discussed major changes from previous DOE policies to Order 140.1 with
respect to: 1) a new definition of "public health and safety" to include only "...individuals beyond the site boundaries..."; 2) a new restriction on access to information for Hazard Category 3 and radiological defense nuclear facilities; 3) new restrictions on access to deliberative process draft documents; and 4) new requirements to contractors to refer all requests for information or access to a Departmental Site Liaison.
During the public comment period of the hearing, ECA provided oral and written testimony to the Board. The formal written testimony is available here. ECA has concluded that with some modification and clarification to the language in the Order concerning may of the issues listed above, ECA could support implementing changes going forward. ECA requested that the DNFSB identify specific suggested language changes to the Order and meet with DOE to resolve differences.
In the coming days, DNFSB will be updating it's hearing landing page to include links to documents from the hearing, including exhibits prepared by the Board, public comment submitted for the record, and a video feed of the hearing
proceedings.
Another hearing on the matter of Order 140.1 is scheduled for February 2019 in Albuquerque, NM.
LEGISLATIVE
NUCLEAR SECURITY
STORAGE & DISPOSITION
2018-2019 UPCOMING EVENTS |
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