Nuclear weapons safety oversight in decline with Trump, Biden inaction

The lone independent federal agency responsible for ensuring safety at U.S. nuclear weapons sites — including Hanford in Washington state — will lose its ability to issue recommendations for safer work by January if the Trump administration doesn’t replenish its board, which this month dwindles to one member.

By | October 15, 2025 seattletimes.com

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board ensures adequate public health and worker safety by scrutinizing hazardous work conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors that produce and maintain the nuclear arsenal. If the Trump administration and Congress don’t move quickly to populate the board, it will be incapable of issuing formal safety recommendations to the Energy Department, according to a report last month from the Government Accountability Office, Congress’ investigative arm.

If the board is without a quorum of at least three members for a year, “the agency would essentially be able to offer only nonbinding advice to DOE,” according to the report.

“The whole idea of having the board in place is to provide the optics in addition to the substance,” Nathan Anderson, a Washington state-based director in the GAO’s natural resources division, told The Seattle Times.

The board does not have regulatory or enforcement authorities, but its advice carries significant weight and cannot be easily dismissed or disregarded, the GAO report states. The board’s recommendations to the U.S. secretary of energy are published for public comment, and the secretary must respond in writing. The board also reports each year to selected congressional committees on its recommendations to the Energy Department and any outstanding safety problems.

FULL ORIGINAL ARTICLE (SEATTLE TIMES)

YOU CAN HELP SAVE THE DNFSB TODAY:

The government is still shut down (unfortunately). But it does mean there’s still time to ask Congress to get a provision in the pending Continuing Resolution to keep the government running that will help save the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB).

Here’s how you can help:
Background: The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is an independent agency within the executive branch of the Federal Government. The DNFSB is chartered with the responsibility to provide recommendations and advice to the Secretary of Energy regarding public health and safety issues at Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear weapons facilities, including with the health and safety of employees, contractors, and nearby communities (for more see www.dnfsb.gov).
Congress established the Board in 1988 in response to increasing reports of nuclear safety risks impacting workers and the public. Since early this year, the Board has been reduced to just two Members out of five, with a temporary one-year statutory bridge to constitute a quorum that is drawing to a close. In addition, the current Acting Chairman’s term expires this October 18, ending the Board’s functioning quorum. Without it, the DNFSB cannot effectively carry out its critical nuclear safety oversight mission. The public would simply not know about the DOE’s chronic nuclear safety problems without the Board. This is critically important today given expanding production of nuclear weapons.

Specific request: There should be a provision in any Continuing Resolution for FY 2026 that would temporarily extend the authority of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board by allowing the Acting Chair to serve until the end of January 2027. The overriding purpose is to enable the Safety Board to fully continue operations and provide more time for the President to nominate, and the Senate to confirm, new Safety Board Members.

Congress must take action to protect nuclear safety by preserving DNFSB’s quorum!
Contact Senator Martin Heinrich through his official website, his Washington, D.C. office, or any of his New Mexico State offices:

  • “Contact” page on his official website: heinrich.senate.gov/contact/write-martin
  • Washington, D.C. office:
  • Address: 709 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
  • Phone: (202) 224-5521
  • Santa Fe Office:
  • 123 E Marcy St, Suite 103, Santa Fe, NM 87501
  • Phone: (505) 988-6647
  • Albuquerque Office:
  • 400 Gold Avenue SW, Ste. 1080, Albuquerque, NM 87102
  • (505) 346-6601

Thank Senator Heinrich for any work he has already done on this!

Make sure he knows that nuclear safety is a huge priority for New Mexicans and this is how he can continue to ensure it!
Contact Senator Ben Ray Luján through his official website, his Washington, D.C. office, or any of his New Mexico State offices:

  • “Contact” page on his official website: lujan.senate.gov/contact
  • Washington, D.C. office:
  • Address: 498 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
  • Phone: (202) 224-6621
  • Santa Fe Office:
  • 120 S. Federal Place, Suite 302, Santa Fe, NM 87501
  • Phone: (505) 230-7040
  • Albuquerque Office:
  • 500 Marquette Ave NW, Suite 1460, Albuquerque, NM 87102
  • (505) 337-7023
Contact Senator John Thune through his official website, his Washington, D.C. office, or any of his South Dakota State offices:

  • “Contact” page on his official website: thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
  • Washington, D.C. office:
  • Address: United States Senate SD-511, Washington, DC 20510
  • Phone: (202) 224-6542
  • Sioux Falls Office:
  • 2401 West Trevi Place, Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57108
  • Phone: (605) 334-9596

It is especially important that New York constituents contact Senate Minority Leader Schumer on this matter!

Contact Senator Chuck Schumer through his official website, his Washington, D.C. office, or any of his New York State offices:

  • “Contact” page on his official website: schumer.senate.gov/contact/email-chuck
  • Washington, D.C. office:
  • Address: 322 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
  • Phone: (202) 224-6542
  • New York City Office:
  • 780 Third Avenue, Suite 2301, New York, NY 10017
  • Phone: (212) 486-4430

House Speaker Johnson and House Minority Leader Jeffries can also help get this provision through!
Contact Representative Mike Johnson through his official website, his Washington, D.C. office, or any of his Louisiana State offices:

  • “Contact” page on his official website: mikejohnson.house.gov/contact
  • Washington, D.C. office:
  • Address: 521 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
  • Phone: 202-225-2777
  • Northwestern State University – Ft. Polk:
  • Mailing: P.O. Box 779, Leesville, LA 71496
  • Phone: 337-423-4232
Contact Representative Hakeem Jeffries through his official website, his Washington, D.C. office, or any of his New York State offices:

  • “Contact” page on his official website: jeffries.house.gov/contact
  • Washington, D.C. office:
  • Address: 2267 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
  • Phone: (202) 225-5936
  • Central Brooklyn District Office:
  • 55 Hanson Place, Suite 603 Brooklyn, NY 11217
  • Phone: (718) 237-2211

📞 Call / Email Script: Protect the DNFSB in the Continuing Resolution
Subject line (for emails): Protect the DNFSB – Urgent Action Needed

Hello, my name is [NAME], and I am a constituent from [CITY, STATE]. I’m calling to urge (Senator [Heinrich / Luján / Schumer] OR Representative [Johnson/Jeffries]) to ensure that the upcoming continuing resolution includes a provision to protect the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB).

The DNFSB is an independent federal agency that provides essential oversight of safety at Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear weapons research and production sites. Without a quorum, the Board cannot issue formal recommendations, conduct hearings, or hold DOE accountable for nuclear safety at the Los Alamos Lab in New Mexico, the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, and many more sites across the country.

Right now, the Board is down to just two members. The Acting Chair’s term ends this October 18 and the Board will lose the quorum it needs to function. This would be a dangerous failure of nuclear safety oversight at a time when DOE is rapidly expanding nuclear weapons production, particularly plutonium pit production. This is why it is urgent for Congress to act.

The upcoming Continuing Resolution (CR) needs to include a provision to:

  • Preserve the DNFSB’s ability to function by allowing the Acting Chair to serve until the end of January 2027.
  • This would give the President additional time to nominate new Board members and the Senate to confirm them.

Please help ensure that this critical provision is included in any Continuing Resolution so that the Board can continue its vital safety mission of maintaining oversight, transparency, and safety at DOE defense nuclear facilities.

Thank you for your time and attention to this urgent matter!

Quick Call:
“Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m calling to ask Senator OR Representative [X] to act to protect the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. Congress must include a provision in the continuing resolution to keep the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) functioning by allowing the Acting Chair to serve until the end of January 2027. This would give the President additional time to nominate new Board Members and the Senate to confirm them.

Read the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability’s letter to congress about the urgent need for nominations to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

 

Scroll to top