EM Weekly Report - 11/10/00

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT WEEKLY REPORT - November 10, 2000

I	Schedule

11/13 	Dr. Huntoon will visit the Nevada Test Site and Yucca Mountain.
12/4	Dr. Huntoon will speak at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT). 
	Mr. Owendoff will be Acting Assistant Secretary in her absence.

 
II	Key Departmental News

Legislation Enacted for Remediation of Moab, UT, Uranium Mill Tailings
Site:  The Moab site is currently under the control of a Trustee
appointed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  Public Law 106-398 was
signed by the President on October 30, authorizing DOE to remediate the
Moab site.  The law directs DOE to perform several activities within one
year, including developing a plan for the cleanup and taking title to
the site.  It also requires DOE to enter into an arrangement with the
National Academy of Sciences to obtain technical advice and
recommendations in evaluating the costs, benefits, and risks of various
cleanup options, including offsite disposal or onsite treatment.  If
DOE's remediation plan is not consistent with the recommendations of the
National Academy of Sciences, DOE must submit a report to Congress
explaining the reasons for the inconsistency.  Congress did not include
DOE's line item funding request for the Moab activities in the approved
FY 2001 budget.  Headquarters, Albuquerque, and Grand Junction staff met
in Grand Junction last week to discuss plans for complying with the new
law.  Discussions with the National Academy and the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission took place the week of November 6.  
Media Interest:  Local
Program Contact:  J. Joyce, 301-903-2151

Hanford K-Basin Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project Continues with Startup
Preparations:  Progress continues on startup preparations as fuel
continues to be cleaned and loaded into fuel baskets.  To date, two
baskets have been filled and the third basket is being filled.  The
contractor continues to complete recovery actions from the suspended
Contractor's second phase Operational Readiness Review (ORR) at the Cold
Vacuum Drying Facility (CVDF).  The DOE first phase ORR is wrapping up
this week at the Canister Storage Building and K-West Basin with roughly
35 issues and several findings.  The Headquarters Energy System
Acquisition Advisory Board review related to authorization for start of
operations (CD-4) is now scheduled for November 17.  The delay in
readiness review activities has seriously jeopardized the ability to
achieve the TPA milestone and DNFSB 94-1 commitment date for fuel
removal of November 30.  Seven days of fire relief (December 7) have
been provided to the contractor, but that relief only applies to the
performance incentive date and not to the regulator milestone.
Media Interest:  None
Program Contact:  Tom Hull, 301-903-5677

Albuquerque Inspector General Report on Type B Packages:  On 
November 6, EM representatives participated in an out briefing on the
Albuquerque Inspector General Office's draft report on Type B
Transportation Packages for Surplus Fissile Material.  Representatives
from the Office of Defense Programs and the Office of Nonproliferation
and National Security also participated.  The purpose of the call was to
resolve final issues associated with the draft.  The report makes five
recommendations, largely focusing on needed improvement within the
Department in the management and integration of transportation and
packaging management and certification programs.  Most of the
recommendations are already being implemented with the development of a
Memorandum of Agreement between NNSA and other programs within the
Department which will formalize a process to identify and resolve
cross-program transportation and packaging issues.  The final report
will be issued by Headquarters Inspector General Office in the near
future.
Media Interest:  Possible
Program Contact:  Tracy Mustin, 202-586-0671

Completed Santa Fe, NM, Bypass Officially Opened on November 2:  The
14-mile road was renamed the Veteran's Memorial Highway.  During the
ribbon-cutting ceremony, New Mexico Highway and Transportation Secretary
Pete Rahn thanked the Department for funding about half of the $92
million project cost.  The road is used to route truck shipments between
WIPP and the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Media Interest:  Regional
Program Contact:  Doug Tonkay, 301-903-7212

Ten Million Safe Hours:  Fluor Hanford, Inc. (FHI) has reported that
they have achieved 10,000,000 hours worked without a lost time away
injury. This was achieved by 5,500 employees for the period from
December 15, 1999, through November 1, 2000.  Lost time away does not
include restricted work activity or partial work time cases.  It is
believed that FHI is the only contractor in the DOE complex to have
reached this milestone.  This accomplishment reflects well on FHI's
commitment to the Integrated Safety Management System and worker safety. 
Media Interest:  Local Program Contact:  Charles Kasch, 509-376-5183

III	Work on Secretarial Initiatives
IV	Press Inquiries
V	FOIA Requests
VI	Grants, Economic Announcements and Publications
VII	Climate Change
VIII	Disaster Assistance
-- 
.....................................................
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee
                       -----                       
The LOC newsletter "Insights" is posted on our Web site
http://www.local-oversight.org - E-mail loc@icx.net 
.....................................................
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