Sunshine Act Meeting

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) meeting described below. The Board will also conduct a series of public hearings 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., February 3, 2004.

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:

The Board has been reviewing the Department of Energy's (DOE) current oversight and management of the contracts and contractors it relies upon to accomplish the mission assigned to DOE under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. We will focus on what impact, if any, DOE's new initiatives may have or might have had upon assuring adequate protection of the health and safety of the public and workers at DOE's defense nuclear facilities. The seventh public meeting will collect information needed to understand and address any health or safety concerns that may require Board action. This will include, but is not limited to, presentations by the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to explain their contract management and oversight initiatives.

The Board has identified several key areas that will be examined in public meetings. In the February 3rd meeting, the Board will hear from DOE's Office of Environment, Safety, and Health concerning its roles and responsibilities in the oversight process, and from NNSA regarding its review of applicable lessons learned from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report. The Board will continue to explore in more depth Federal management and oversight policies being developed by DOE and NNSA for defense nuclear facilities. The information gathered will explore Federal contract management and oversight experience and will provide relevant reference experience. The public hearing portion is independently authorized by 42 U.S.C. 2286b.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth M. Pusateri, 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 February 2, 2004, will be scheduled for time slots, beginning at approximately 11:30 a.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. 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 Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's Washington, DC office. The Board will hold the record open until March 3, 2004, 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 Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety 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.