DOE MUST RESTORE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD ACCESS TO INFORMATION, NUCLEAR SECURITY FACILITIES, AND PERSONNEL
On May 14, 2018, the Department of Energy (DOE) Deputy Secretary approved DOE Order 140.1Interface with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board,which limits release of information, limits the DNFSB’s access to nuclear security sites, and personnel. The impacts are already being felt by Congress, the Board, DOE contractors and workers, and in communities located near some of the most dangerous nuclear facilities across the nation.
What you can do –
The Board is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, August 28, 2018, from 9 am to 12:30 pm Eastern Day- light Time. It will be live streamed and the link will be available on the day of the hearing.
Public comments will be accepted until September 28, 2018.
Read the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability Fact Sheet here.
More information on the DNFSB site is here.
ANA’s message
The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability has reviewed DOE Order 140.1 and believes it imposes a level of constraint on DNFSB that jeopardizes the important mission of the Safety Board. In fact, it may well violate the legislation that established the Board.
ANA groups and the public at major DOE sites have come to rely on the Safety Board’s expertise to identify and hold accountable the DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration for worker and public safety related issues. Our list of Safety Board revelations that have led to signi cant improvements is long.
We also rely on the Safety Boa
rd for information; the weekly reports of Resident Inspectors are one of the few windows available to the public into what goes on at DOE and NNSA sites.
The DOE’s attempt to limit Safety Board access to people, documents, information, and facilities is not ac- ceptable. We are calling for DOE to rescind DOE Order 140.1. Should DOE refuse, we are asking for the Order to be put on hold until public hearings are held (within 90 days) at each site with a Safety Board presence to explain to the public why it has taken this step—and to listen to our comments.
Learn more about ANA at ananuclear.org.