AFTER PUSH FROM DNFSB, DOE OUTLINES NEW SCHEDULE FOR UPDATES TO SAFETY GUIDELINES

Following notice from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board finding that the Department of Energy has yet to complete key elements of its implementation plan for improving nuclear safety guidelines, DOE late last week provided an updated schedule and outlined steps taken so far. In a July letter following up on a 2010 DNFSB recommendation, the Board noted that DOE has not yet sufficiently in particular with the Department’s interpretation of DOE’s Standard 3009-94, which outlines “safe harbors” that provide guidance for the preparation of Documented Safety Analyses  at nuclear facilities across the NNSA and DOE Complex. The final update is now set to be completed in March 2014, according to the new schedule. “DOE draft revision of DOE Standard 3009 has addressed all of these issues and further refinements are in process,” states the Sept. 20 report on the status of the implementation plan.