The top brass at the Energy Department has decided not to have a potential member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) lead its discussions about communications between the agency and the safety watchdog.
In a Sept. 15, letter to the now former DNFSB Chairman Bruce Hamilton, Deputy Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes said Todd Lapointe, DOE’s deputy associate undersecretary for environment, health and safety, will be the agency’s point person on a potential memorandum of understanding about the board’s interactions with DOE.
This is a reversal from Menezes Aug. 26 letter to Hamilton when he tapped Matthew Moury, DOE’s associate undersecretary for environment, health, safety and security, to lead DOE talks with DNFSB over revisions to Order 140.1., which sparked safety board concern over limited access to people and records at DOE defense nuclear facilities.
“Following our discussion” on Sept. 2 and because of the Donald Trump administration’s July nomination of Moury to serve on the safety board, Menezes said he decided to make the switch.
The Senate received the nomination from the president on July 21 and it was assigned to the Senate Armed Services Committee. One industry source said last week that the chances of Moury getting a SASC hearing and being confirmed by the Senate prior to the November election are slim at best.
In the Sept. 15 letter to Hamilton, Menezes said he wished to “reiterate our gratitude” for Hamilton’s leadership of DNFSB. The DOE under secretary also said he looks forward to working with Vice Chairman Thomas Summers, who is stepping in as acting chairman following Hamilton’s Sept. 12 departure. Hamilton informed DNFSB a few weeks ago that he was leaving the board, apparently for personal reasons.
