1996 Management Plan - Sec6.5

Office of Nuclear Energy

For FY 1996, the Office of Nuclear Energy has identified $48M for environment, safety and health (ES&H) activities, at facilities where Nuclear Energy (NE) has management and oversight responsibilities. This represents 12.5% of the total FY 1996 Nuclear Energy operating budget of $383M (less Naval Reactors). The Office of Nuclear Energy's ES&H;funding profile is broken down as shown in Table 6.5-1.

The Office of Nuclear Energy's Planning Process and Assumptions

Continuous involvement in the environment, safety and health planning process for the last 3 years, has allowed NE to gain a better understanding of current ES&H programs, track unaddressed ES&H;issues, and manage accordingly. NE utilized the environment, safety and health planning process in this planning cycle and as a result improved its overall ES&H performance. The effective use of the ES&H planning process allowed facilities to identify funding needs to achieve compliance with ES&H regulations, provide a risk-based justification for ES&H;resource allocation, and better manage sources and utilization of available funding. Managerial and program use of ES&H risk-based planning also improved, and was beneficial in planning for decreasing facility operating budgets and the prioritization of site-wide ES&H;activities. Future planning cycles will build upon previously identified ES&H activities and programs and will identify necessary remaining activities to allow for effective program planning with a risk-based approach to constrained budget decisions.

Consistent with guidance provided in the ES&H Management Plan Guidance Manual and supplemental guidance, Funds related to environment, safety and health activities have been incorporated into the NE Plan for the following:

• Operations Offices where NE is the responsible Secretarial Office,
• Facilities where NE has Landlord responsibility, and
• Other facilities where NE provides funding.

The Nuclear Energy Plan includes landlord responsibility for Paducah and Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plants. Effective July 1, 1993, legislation transferred operation of these facilities to the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC). NE will no longer provide operating funds for these facilities or for their ES&H funds. However, since the Department of Energy retains ownership of the properties, NE will provide funding to continue ES&H oversight. Funds associated with oversight of USEC operations are reflected in this Plan, as are ES&H activities associated with Landlord functions (including environmental management operations) and post-operation clean-up at these sites.

Nuclear Energy prepared Activity Data Sheets using the ES&H Management Plan Information System and planning guidance. Emphasis was placed on needed programmatic initiatives as well as corrective actions as a response to internal and external assessments. The ES&H planning process was built on the previous year's plan and incorporated information from other existing safety and health management systems and programs. NE's planning process is well suited to produce continued cohesion between successive planning years. Additionally, NE is participating in the Lessons Learned program associated with the ES&H;Five-Year Plan to further improve its safety and health planning performance.

Current Status of the Office of Nuclear Energy's Environment, Safety and Health Program

The Nuclear Energy Plan represents a compilation of the ES&H activities required to maintain and achieve compliance with DOE Orders. Additionally, the plan provides information on future directions, and highlights the need for strengthened resources directed at ES&H planning within NE. As discussed in this plan, ES&H compliance has been and will continue to be strengthened through increased management attention and resources, and as a result of corrective action plans developed and implemented in response to DNFSB and other assessments. By the end of FY 1995, NE organizations and facilities will have made significant progress in achieving compliance with DOE ES&H requirements. This plan, then, provides the analysis and focus from which management direction and resource allocation can be made for those additional ES&H;activities and new issues which warrant attention on a priority basis over the planning period.

NE manages ES&H activities through its direction in the establishment of plans and budgets related to ES&H activities of Operations Offices for which it is the responsible Secretarial Officer (i.e., Oak Ridge) and of facilities for which it has landlord responsibility (i.e., ANL-W, Portsmouth, and Paducah). Day-to-day responsibility for managing and directing ES&H activities at NE Operations Offices and facilities is assigned to the local DOE and contractor line organizations, respectively. These organizations typically have a central environment, safety and health organizations which provide guidance, assistance, and oversight in ES&H (and Quality Assurance) to other line organizations in the field to assure that operations performed are consistent with DOE ES&H objectives. Additionally, ES&H responsibilities are assigned directly within line organizations as an integrated element of the line programs.

An inherent part of the NE mission is to conduct all activities in full compliance with applicable environmental, safety and health policies, directives, and regulations. The basic strategy for NE compliance is through line management responsibility. Compliance base lining surveys have been conducted at several of the facilities, and correction of the noted deficiencies is well underway.

In keeping with NE's mission goals, ES&H planning is an integral portion of overall program objectives. Specific program elements for improving the environment, safety and health posture at NE sites include:

• Conduct of Operations - compliant operating procedures and policies; coordinated operations scheduling and planning; and work-in-progress supervision.
• Conduct of Maintenance - compliant maintenance procedures, inspection guides, and re-test requirements; hazard identification and abatement; and corrective and preventative maintenance programs.
• Quality Assurance - material traceability systems; well- documented policies and procedures; and audit, review, and surveillance systems.
• Training and Qualifications - establishment of qualification, training, and experience requirements; documented and auditable training programs; and worker refresher training and certification programs.
• Management Systems - roles, responsibilities, and authorities defined; top-down guidance followed through by bottom-up decision-making; and root cause analyses.
• Oversight - accurate assessment of ES&H effort; audit, review, and surveillance programs; comprehensive feedback and lessons learned programs; and issue management systems.
• Physical Infrastructure - safe and inspected work spaces; effective hazard warning systems; and physical safeguards.

Summary of Major ES&H Issues and activities

Significant environment, safety and health issues and activities at NE Operations Offices and facilities are identified below. While no priorities have been assigned to this summary list, it does represent an overview of the issues addressed by the highest priority ADSs in the Plan. Many of these issues are not unique to NE, but exist throughout the DOE complex.

• Industrial Safety/Hygiene: Corrective actions to finalize the abatement of OSHA non-conformances. Efforts to go beyond mere compliance with requirements is also planned to improve general safety awareness and performance.

• Radiological Protection: Significant upgrades to radiological control programs include the continued implementation of the DOE RADCON Manual, and achieving compliance with DOE Order 5480.11 and 10 CFR 835. These upgrades also include improvements to dosimetry programs and contamination control programs.

• Fire Protection: Fire protection system upgrades include detection and suppression systems and fire-fighting equipment. Fire hazard analyses and the resulting corrections are being appropriated as well as the upgrade of fire prevention and fire fighting training programs.

• Occupational Medical Services: Overall improvement of occupational medical programs include the appropriation of sufficient medical professional staff, the initiation of wellness programs and fit-for-duty analysis programs, and medical facility upgrades.

• Transportation Safety: Transportation safety improvements include the initiation of on-site transportation safety programs and continued oversight of packaging and shipping operations. Upgraded training and certification programs, as well as safety inspection programs and compliance monitoring, are included in this effort.

• Emergency Preparedness: management programs are upgrading emergency plans, facilities, training, and staffing to comply with DOE Orders and regulations. This upgrade includes training for emergency response personnel as well as general site employees.

• Nuclear Safety and Other: Continuing projects to upgrade aging facilities, including electrical and mechanical systems improvement. Upgrades to facility safety analysis reviews and asbestos (and other hazardous materials) abatement programs are also included to improve the condition of older facilities.

• Environmental Activities:

  • K25, Portsmouth and Paducah currently store over 500,000 metric tons (50,000 storage cylinders) of UF6 in 50,000 cylinders on unprotected, outdoor storage areas. Inadequate maintenance and exposure to the elements combined with mechanical damage suffered during handling, have led to the corrosion and subsequent breaching of the carbon steel cylinders. To this date there have been 7 breached containers that resulted in contaminant releases. The DNFSB (recommendation 95-1, May 5, 1994) recommends the following in order to prevent further corrosion of canisters, which if left unattended may leak HF (hydrofluoric acid) and radioactive contaminants to the environment: the surveillance and maintenance plan be redesigned and improved, the implementation of an accelerated program to renew the protective coating of cylinders, and the initiation of a study to determine a more suitable chemical form for long term storage.

  • Environmental protection activities include efforts necessary for the proper completion of documentation to satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act. Additionally, programs are being implemented to meet the objectives of the Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization initiatives.

  • The upgrade (and implementation) of groundwater protection and monitoring systems, including potable water protection.

  • Activities necessary to meet facility emission standards for permitting requirements associated with the Clean Air Act. Protection of air quality activities also include plans to reduce the use of chlorofluorocarbons.

  • Activities are planned to determine and improve the compliance status of operating facilities with the expected reauthorization of major environmental statutes, including the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Toxic Substance Control Act.

Last modified: 02/27/96 16:17:28