Area 3: NUCLEAR FACILITIES DESIGN AND INFRASTRUCTURE

New DOE defense nuclear facilities, and major modifications to existing facilities, are designed and constructed in a manner that ensures adequate protection of the health and safety of the workers and the public.

Other Information:

To ensure that safety is addressed early in the process, the Board reviews the design and construction of new DOE defense nuclear facilities. These facilities must be designed and constructed in a manner that will support safe and efficient operations for 20 to 50 years. This requires a robust design process that will ensure appropriate safety controls are identified and properly implemented early in the process. The Board’s expectation is that the design and construction phases of defense nuclear facilities will be accomplished under approved nuclear codes and standards, and demonstrate clear and deliberate implementation of Integrated Safety Management (ISM) principles and core functions. The Board’s reviews of the design and construction of major facilities and projects in this strategic area are resource intensive and time consuming, but they result in significant safety improvements. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of new DOE projects, with 20 to 30 projects in the design and construction phase. Examples of these new projects include the Tritium Extraction Facility, currently under construction at the Savannah River Site; the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant, which is in the design and construction phase; the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, which is in the design phase at the Y-12 Site; and the Pit Disassembly and Conversion Facility, which is in the design stage at the Savannah River Site. Outcome: DOE will have acknowledged, acted upon, and/or resolved the health and safety issues raised by the Board. Follow-up technical evaluations will verify necessary safety improvements in the design and construction of DOE’s new nuclear facilities and major modifications to existing facilities. New nuclear facility designs will meet acceptable safety standards.

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