DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD

February 21, 1997

1. DNFSB Activity Summary:Jim McConnell and Harry Waugh were on site Tuesday through Friday. Monday was a federal holiday but not a contractor holiday.

2. Issue Follow-Up:

1. Satellite Activity Restart: Work continues to complete the analysis of LINAC operations, development of controls, and resumption of operations. Current information indicates that a combination of existing engineered shut-downs and new administrative controls should be adequate to ensure nuclear explosives can be radiographed safely. The Satellite Activity Restart Team, headed by Dave Finely, expects to receive a third letter from the Design Agencies by early next week clarifying the weapon response information and specifying the maximum allowable abnormal environment. The restart team plans to issue the necessary revisions to the Basis for Interim Operations and Critical Safety Systems Manual and the start-up review plan of action shortly thereafter. DOE plans to conduct one integrated start-up review that will include both the Safety Evaluation/Readiness Assessment and Nuclear Explosive Safety reviews. The independent review is scheduled for the beginning of March with LINAC resumption planned for mid-March.
   Pantex is also making progress on the safety basis analysis and controls for the dynamic balancer. Unlike the LINAC, the path forward for the dynamic balancer has Pantex determining the maximum credible abnormal environment and then the Design Agencies analyzing that scenario to determine if the weapon response is acceptable. Current indications are that, even without modifications, the worst-case abnormal environment will probably be acceptable. Based on resolving the issue analytically, the dynamic balancer is scheduled to resume operations in mid-March when the analyses are finalized. Mason and Hanger (MHC) has been working a parallel path to develop new engineered safety controls. Even if analysis ultimately determines that a safety class dual redundant overspeed trip is not required, MHC intends to install the system as defense-in-depth by mid-April.

2. W69 NESS: The W69 Nuclear Explosive Safety Study, which began on February 4, continued this week. The NESS Group indicated that this study may not be completed until the middle of March.

3. W78 SS-21: The W78 SS-21 Project Team held its first official meeting this week. At the meeting, the various Task Teams were identified and their responsibilities outlined. The Project Team developed a project plan that outlines the activities that will be performed to ensure that the W78 will meet the requirements specified in EP-401110/B. This effort will apply to all W78 disassembly/assembly activities and eventually to dismantlement. The goal for full implementation of this project is September, 1999.

4. W79 Dismantlement: The Site Representatives received a copy this week of the ARDEC report on the tests performed on the six WR W79 rocket motors. As reported last week, the conclusion is that all dismantlement activities should be completed long before there is any propellent sensitivity concern. The Site Representatives are forwarding a copy of the report to Steve Krahn.

5. Reservoir Inventory: The tritium reservoir inventory backlog at Pantex has been eliminated. There were 533 reservoirs packaged from October 1, 1996 through January 25, 1997. This number included all excess reservoirs in inventory plus those that were added to inventory from dismantlement. The last of these were shipped January 28, 1997.

3. Future Activities:

1. February 4-March ? - W69 Dismantlement NESS
2. February 27 - B83 Program Meeting
3. .March 13 - Pantex ISM Senior Managers' Meeting
4. March 18-20 - W78 Archiving Meeting @ SNL/NM
5. March 25 - W79 MC3395 Removal begins
6. March 25-27 - W56 Milestone 2 Meeting @ Pantex (change)
7. April 4 - W79 DMSO Check Out RA starts
8. April 9 - Quarterly Production Meeting
9. May 15 - M&H AT-400A Corporate ORR begins (estimate)
10. June ? - DOE AT-400A ORR (following conclusion of M&H ORR)

Copy to: Board Members