Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
An independent federal agency that oversees public health and safety at DOE’s defense nuclear facilities and issues recommendations on cleanup and weapons-production safety.
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Nuclear Weapons & StockpileNNSA Will Let DNFSB Attend Nuclear Explosive Safety Meetings on Trial Basis
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is willing to let Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) personnel attend meetings of the secretive Nuclear Explosives Safety Study Group at the Pantex Plant in Texas on a “trial” basis, according to a letter published this week. The two federal agencies have fought since 2018 over whether DNFSB […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
NNSA Will Let DNFSB Attend Nuclear Explosive Safety Meetings on Trial Basis
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is willing to let Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) personnel attend meetings of the secretive Nuclear Explosives Safety Study Group at the Pantex Plant in Texas on a “trial” basis, according to a letter published this week. The two federal agencies have fought since 2018 over whether DNFSB […]
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Vitrification & GroutWork on Savannah River Waste Unit Temporarily Suspended Due to Pandemic
Reduced staffing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Department of Energy to suspend construction of the Saltstone Disposal Unit 7 (SDU 7) at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) said in a recent report. The April 3 staff report filed with DNFSB Technical Director Christopher Roscetti […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
NNSA Cites Order 140.1 in Blocking DNFSB From Pantex Meeting
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) has lost its game of chicken with the Pantex Plant in Texas, where personnel recently blocked a board inspector from attending a meeting of the secretive Nuclear Explosive Safety Study Group, according to a letter posted online. An employee for DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) blocked the […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
NNSA Cites Order 140.1 in Blocking DNFSB From Pantex Meeting
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) has lost its game of chicken with the Pantex Plant in Texas, where personnel recently blocked a board inspector from attending a meeting of the secretive Nuclear Explosive Safety Study Group, according to a letter posted online. An employee for DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) blocked the […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DNFSB Urges Staff to Delve Deeper Into Nuke Sites
The Defense Nuclear Safety Facilities Board (DNFSB) is urging its inspectors and staff to press their newly bolstered authority to inspect Department of Energy defense-nuclear sites, as codified by Congress last year. Congress, at least in the board’s interpretation, used the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020 to short-circuit DOE Order 140.1, which was written by […]
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Cleanup & RemediationDNFSB Wants Staff to Delve Deeper Into Nuke Sites
The Defense Nuclear Safety Facilities Board (DNFSB) is urging its inspectors and staff to press their newly bolstered authority to inspect Department of Energy defense-nuclear sites, as codified by Congress last year. Congress, at least in the board’s interpretation, used the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020 to short-circuit DOE Order 140.1, which was written by […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DNFSB Urges Staff to Delve Deeper Into Nuke Sites
The Defense Nuclear Safety Facilities Board (DNFSB) is urging its inspectors and staff to press their newly bolstered authority to inspect Department of Energy defense-nuclear sites, as codified by Congress last year. Congress, at least in the board’s interpretation, used the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020 to short-circuit DOE Order 140.1, which was written […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DNFSB Wants Memo of Understanding With DOE to Fix Order 140.1 Concerns
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) wants a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Energy to further improve the contentious relationship between the federal agencies. That would be an additional measure on top of DOE’s revision to the controversial Order 140.1 that revised its interactions with the board. The revision comes after Congress last year directed […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
DNFSB Wants Written Understanding With DOE on Order
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) wants a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Energy to further improve the contentious relationship between the federal agencies. That would be an additional measure on top of DOE’s revision to the controversial Order 140.1 that revised its interactions with the board. The revision comes after Congress last year directed […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DNFSB Wants Memo of Understanding With DOE to Fix Order 140.1 Concerns
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) wants a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Energy to further improve the contentious relationship between the federal agencies. That would be an additional measure on top of DOE’s revision to the controversial Order 140.1 that revised its interactions with the board. The revision comes after Congress last […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Trump to Nominate Connery for New Term on DNFSB
President Donald Trump will nominate a familiar face, Joyce Connery, to serve a new term on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), the White House said Tuesday morning. If confirmed by the Senate, Connery would serve a term expiring Oct. 18, 2025, according to the intent to nominate announcement. Initially nominated by President Barack […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Trump to Nominate Connery for New Term on DNFSB
President Donald Trump will nominate a familiar face, Joyce Connery, to serve a new term on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), the White House said Tuesday morning. If confirmed by the Senate, Connery would serve a term expiring Oct. 18, 2025, according to the intent to nominate announcement. Initially nominated by President Barack […]
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Budget & PolicyTrump to Tap Connery for New Term on DNFSB
President Donald Trump will nominate a familiar face, Joyce Connery, to serve a new term on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), the White House said Tuesday morning. If confirmed by the Senate, Connery would serve a term expiring Oct. 18, 2025, according to the intent to nominate announcement. Initially nominated by President Barack […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DNFSB Pushes Back on DOE’s Proposed Changes to Nuke Safety Regulation
The Department of Energy should retool its proposed changes to the federal regulation governing nuclear safety management, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) said Friday. This is the third recommendation from the independent federal nuclear health and safety watchdog to the Donald Trump administration and addresses a slate of changes DOE proposed to the […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
DNFSB Postpones Planned Hearing About Savannah River Site’s Future
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) posted an open hearing that was scheduled for next week in Aiken, S.C., about the future of the Savannah River Site. The independent federal nuclear health and safety watchdog temporarily called off the event because of witness availability, and has not rescheduled it yet, a board spokesperson said […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
DNFSB-DOE Meeting on Savannah River Site Postponed
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) posted an open hearing that was scheduled for next week in Aiken, S.C., about the future of the Savannah River Site. The independent federal nuclear health and safety watchdog temporarily called off the event because of witness availability, and has not rescheduled it yet, a board spokesperson said […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
DNFSB Cans March 19 Hearing on Savannah River Site’s Future
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) on Tuesday canceled a planned March 19 open hearing in Aiken, S.C., about the future of the Savannah River Site. The independent federal nuclear health and safety watchdog called off the event because of witness availability, a board spokesperson said. The DNFSB had proposed witnesses including: William (Ike) […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DOE Revising Order That Limited DNFSB Access to Nuke Sites, Personnel
WASHINGTON — At Congress’ direction, the Department of Energy is revising a controversial order that curtailed the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s (DNFSB) access to nuclear sites and personnel, Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said Thursday. “We’re in the process of revising the order and I will be meeting with the DNFSB and we’ll have […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Energy Department Revamping Order on DNFSB
WASHINGTON — At Congress’ direction, the Department of Energy is revising a controversial order that curtailed the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s (DNFSB) access to nuclear sites and personnel, Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said Thursday. “We’re in the process of revising the order and I will be meeting with the DNFSB and we’ll have […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DOE Revising Order That Limited DNFSB Access to Nuke Sites, Personnel
WASHINGTON — The Department of Energy is revising a controversial order that curtailed the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s access to defense nuclear sites and personnel, and the agency plans to brief the board this month, the Secretary of Energy told lawmakers here Tuesday. “It’s being revised,”Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said of Order 140.1 […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DNFSB Hiring Practices ‘Ineffective and ‘Inefficient,’ Inspector General Says
A new inspector general’s report bashed the human resources department at the federal Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board as ineffective, inefficient, and incapable of supporting the agency’s oversight of defense-nuclear sites. The board’s “human resources program is currently not designed and implemented to effectively support the execution of its mission,” reads a report issued this […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
New Mexico Lawmakers Call on DOE to Suspend Order 140.1
New Mexico’s entire congressional delegation this month called on the Department of Energy to suspend a controversial order that the federal Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) says has curtailed its access to nuclear-weapon sites. The Energy Department should lift the almost 2-year-old Order 140.1 to comply with recent changes to federal law that require […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
New Mexico Congressional Delegation Urges DOE to Suspend Order 140.1
New Mexico’s entire congressional delegation this month called on the Department of Energy to suspend a controversial order that the federal Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) says has curtailed its access to nuclear-weapon sites. The Energy Department should lift the almost 2-year-old Order 140.1 to comply with recent changes to federal law that require […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Inspector General Criticizes DNFSB Hiring Practices
A new inspector general’s report bashed the human resources department at the federal Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board as ineffective, inefficient, and incapable of supporting the agency’s oversight of defense-nuclear sites. The board’s “human resources program is currently not designed and implemented to effectively support the execution of its mission,” reads a report issued this […]
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Budget & Policy
New Mexico Lawmakers Call on DOE to ‘Suspend’ Order 140.1
New Mexico’s entire congressional delegation this month called on the Department of Energy to suspend a controversial order that the federal Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) says has curtailed its access to nuclear-weapon sites. The Energy Department should lift the almost 2-year-old Order 140.1 to comply with recent changes to federal law that require […]
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Budget & Policy
DNFSB Hiring Practices ‘Ineffective and ‘Inefficient,’ Inspector General Says
A new inspector general’s report bashed the human resources department at the federal Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board as ineffective, inefficient, and incapable of supporting the agency’s oversight of defense-nuclear sites. The board’s “human resources program is currently not designed and implemented to effectively support the execution of its mission,” reads a Monday report from […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DNFSB Wants to Address DOE Issues With Brouillette
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) hopes to meet soon with new U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette to discuss public health and safety issues at nuclear sites overseen by his agency. In a Jan. 16 letter, DNFSB Chairman Bruce Hamilton congratulated Brouillette on his December confirmation as energy secretary and said the board would […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
DNFSB Wants to Address DOE Issues With Brouillette
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) hopes to meet soon with new U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette to discuss public health and safety issues at nuclear sites overseen by his agency. In a Jan. 16 letter, DNFSB Chairman Bruce Hamilton congratulated Brouillette on his December confirmation as energy secretary and said the board would […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
DNFSB Hopes to Meet With Brouillette By March
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) hopes to meet soon with new U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette to discuss public health and safety issues at nuclear sites overseen by his agency. In a Jan. 16 letter, DNFSB Chairman Bruce Hamilton congratulated Brouillette on his December confirmation as energy secretary and said the board would […]