[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65838-65839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26512]


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DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD


Sunshine Act Notice

AGENCY: Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of the ``Government in the Sunshine 
Act'' (5 U.S.C. 552b), notice is hereby given of the Defense Nuclear 
Facilities Safety Board's (Board) public hearing and meeting described 
below. The Board will conduct a public hearing and meeting pursuant to 
42 U.S.C. 2286b and invites any interested persons or groups to present 
any comments, technical information, or data concerning safety issues 
related to the matters to be considered.
    Time and Date of Meeting: 9 a.m., December 5, 2008.
    Place: Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Public Hearing 
Room, 625 Indiana Avenue, NW., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20004-2001. 
Additionally, as a part of the Board's E-Government initiative, the 
meeting will be presented live through Internet video streaming. A link 
to the presentation will be available on the Board's Web site (http://www.dnfsb.gov).
    Status: Open. While the Government in the Sunshine Act does not 
require that the scheduled discussion be conducted in a meeting, the 
Board has determined that an open meeting in this specific case 
furthers the public interests underlying both the Sunshine Act and the 
Board's enabling legislation.
    Matters to be Considered: This public hearing and meeting is the 
fourth in a series concerning the Department of Energy's (DOE) and 
National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) incorporation of 
safety into the design and construction of new DOE defense nuclear 
facilities and into major modification of existing facilities. The 
Board is responsible, pursuant to its statutory charter, to review and 
evaluate the content and implementation of standards relating to the 
design and construction of such facilities. This public hearing and 
meeting is a continuation of the Board's interest in integrating safety 
early into the design process. During the Board's initial public 
hearing on this subject on December 7, 2005, the Board focused on the 
adequacy of DOE's existing directives related to the design of new 
facilities. In preparation for that hearing, DOE outlined its 
expectations for integrating safety into design and established a 
framework for achieving needed improvements. During the second public 
hearing on July 19, 2006, the Board further explored integration of 
safety into design and the progress being made in implementing DOE's 
safety in design initiatives. During the third public hearing and 
meeting on March 27, 2007, the Board considered early issue 
identification, communication of Board issues to DOE, issue management, 
and early resolution and closure of design related safety issues. The 
third hearing also addressed the implementation status of DOE Order 
413.3, Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital 
Assets, DOE Standard (STD)-1189, Integration of Safety into the Design 
Process, the revision of DOE Manual 413.3-1, and lessons learned with 
respect to incorporating safety in design at two major Federal 
projects, the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) project and the Chemistry and 
Metallurgy Research Replacement (CMRR) project. This fourth public 
hearing and meeting will consider implementation of the revised DOE 
Order 413.3, the related guidance contained in DOE-STD-1189, and 
commitments made in the July 19, 2007, joint DOE and Board report to 
Congress titled, Improving the Identification and Resolution of Safety 
Issues During the Design and Construction of DOE Defense Nuclear 
Facilities, as those commitments relate to early issue identification, 
communication of Board issues to DOE, issue management, and early 
resolution and closure of design related safety issues. This hearing 
and meeting is intended to further assist the Board and DOE in their 
collective efforts to evaluate any needed improvements in the 
timeliness of issue resolution. The Board again expects to hear 
presentations from both DOE and NNSA senior management officials 
concerning integration of safety into design. The Board may also 
collect any other information relevant to health or safety of the 
workers and the public, with respect to safety in design, that may

[[Page 65839]]

warrant Board action. The public hearing portion of this proceeding is 
authorized by 42 U.S.C. 2286b.

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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Requests to speak at the hearing may be 
submitted in writing or by telephone. The Board asks that commentators 
describe the nature and scope of their oral presentation. Those who 
contact the Board prior to close of business on December 4, 2008, will 
be scheduled for time slots, beginning at approximately 12 p.m. The 
Board will post a schedule for those speakers who have contacted the 
Board before the hearing. The posting will be made at the entrance to 
the Public Hearing Room at the start of the 9 a.m. hearing and meeting. 
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 meeting or 
may be sent to the Board's Washington, DC office. The Board will hold 
the record open until January 6, 2009, for the receipt of additional 
materials. A transcript of the meeting will be made available by the 
Board for inspection by the public at the Board's Washington 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.

    Dated: October 31, 2008.
A.J. Eggenberger,
Chairman.
 [FR Doc. E8-26512 Filed 11-3-08; 4:15 pm]
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