§2286a Mission and functions of Board

Summary

The Board must give independent analysis, advice, and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy. Its job is to help the Secretary, who runs and regulates DOE defense nuclear facilities, make sure public health and safety are properly protected, including the health and safety of employees and contractors. The Board must review and evaluate standards for design, construction, operation, and decommissioning at each DOE defense nuclear facility (this includes DOE orders, rules, and requirements). It must recommend specific changes, point out where more data or research is needed, and investigate any event or practice that has harmed or might harm health and safety. Investigations must check how well DOE is following standards, find out what happened and whether it relates to other sites, and recommend needed changes or research. The Board can access and analyze design and operational data, including safety analysis reports. It must review new facility designs before construction and monitor construction, giving recommendations within a reasonable time, but its actions cannot stop construction. When recommending actions, the Board must consider and, when enough data exists, assess risk and the technical and economic feasibility of the recommendations. The Board does not handle the safety of atomic weapons, but it can see atomic-weapons information if needed to do its work.