Washington – A new safety plan developed by the Department of Energy aims to ensure all necessary measures and hazard controls are taken to safeguard the operation of its nuclear facilities for both workers and nearby residents.

The “path forward” document describes the criteria with which DOE evaluates the adequacy of safety and its implementation at facilities, and details the required documentation at sites that need additional oversight. It also describes how DOE intends to respond to new information such as seismic hazards and how the secretary of energy’s commitments to safety will be implemented at new and existing facilities.

The details on the plan were attached to a July 19 letter (.pdf file) sent from Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman to Peter Winokur, chairman of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.