In this public hearing and meeting, the Board will consider the Department of Energy's (DOE) incorporation of safety into the design and construction of new and modification of existing DOE defense nuclear facilities. The Board is responsible, pursuant to its statutory charter, to review and evaluate the content and implementation of standards relating to the design and construction of such facilities. The Board has recently observed that improvement in the incorporation of safety in the design of certain new defense nuclear facilities may be possible. In this December 7th hearing and meeting, the Board will explore DOE's safety policies, expectations, and processes for integrating safety into design and construction of new and modification of existing facilities. The Board will collect information needed to understand and address any health or safety concerns that may require Board action with respect to safety in design. This will include, but is not limited to, presentations from both DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) senior management officials concerning integration of safety into the design construct. The public hearing portion of this proceeding is authorized by 42 U.S.C. § 2286b.