The Department of Energy will host a public meeting June 28-30 in Oak Ridge, Tenn., to discuss recommendations for improving its Human Reliability Program, according to a notice published this week in the Federal Register.
The Human Reliability Program involves physical and mental suitability standards for DOE workers with access to sensitive materials, nuclear explosive devices, facilities, and programs. The upcoming meeting will allow the public to weigh in on DOE regulations governing the program, which may then be revised.
The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the New Hope Center in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
According to the notice, agenda items include reliability criteria and monitoring; designation of Human Reliability Program positions and methodology; administration and appeals; and best practices for program implementation.
All those interested in attending must submit a request by June 21 to [email protected]. Attendees also interested in speaking at the end of the meeting must also submit a copy of their written remarks by June 23. Any other written comments on the Human Reliability Program must be sent by July 8 to the same email address.
An NNSA spokesperson said the resulting set of recommendations will be presented to DOE leadership after the meeting, and that the department “expects to begin consideration of potential revisions to the HRP regulations in 2017.”
U.S. Citizen Faces Prison for Conspiring to Export Specialty Metals to Iran
A U.S. citizen has pleaded guilty to conspiring to export specialty metals from the United States to Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday.
Erdal Kuyumcu, CEO of Woodside, N.Y.-based company Global Metallurgy, faces sentencing in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York of up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for conspiring to violate federal regulations prohibiting the export of specialized metals without a license from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Kuyumcu, 44, and others planned to ship without the proper license over 1,000 pounds of a metallic powder – consisting of cobalt and nickel – through Turkey to Iran, DOJ said. Using Turkey as a way station was intended to mask the fact that the material was heading to Iran.
The powder can be used as coating for components in gas turbines, with nuclear, aerospace, and missile production applications, and is therefore regulated by the U.S. government to prevent nuclear proliferation, the statement said.
NNSA Extends Personnel Security Contract with Synergy Solutions
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) will extend for another two months its contract with Synergy Solutions Inc. (SSI) for personnel security and facility clearance programs, according to a notice posted last Friday. The contract involves support services to the NNSA’s 49,000 contractor and federal employees with security clearances, including background investigations of cleared employees and applicants.
The agency’s contract with Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based SSI has been extended several times since the initial contract award in November 2009. “SSI is the only company capable of providing personnel security and facility clearance support services in the time frame required,” the notice says. The two-month contract extension will not increase the ceiling of $38.8 million, it says. NNSA is evaluating proposals for a follow-on contract it expects to award in August.