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.