U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 2622. Hanford waste tank cleanup program reforms

(a) Establishment of Office of River Protection

The Secretary of Energy shall establish an office at the Hanford Reservation, Richland, Washington, to be known as the “Office of River Protection” (in this section referred to as the “Office”).

(b) Management and responsibilities of Office

(1) The Office shall be headed by a senior official of the Department of Energy, who shall report to the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management.

(2) The head of the Office shall be responsible for managing, consistent with the policy direction established by the Department, all aspects of the River Protection Project, Richland, Washington.

(3)

(A) The Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management shall delegate in writing responsibility for the management of the River Protection Project, Richland, Washington, to the head of the Office.

(B) Such delegation shall include, at a minimum, authorities for contracting, financial management, safety, and general program management that are equivalent to the authorities of managers of other operations offices of the Department of Energy.

(C) The head of the Office shall, to the maximum extent possible, coordinate all activities of the Office with the manager of the Richland Operations Office of the Department of Energy.

The Secretary shall provide the head of the Office with the resources and personnel necessary to carry out the responsibilities specified in subsection (b)(2).

(d) Report

The Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives, not later than November 29, 2000, a copy of the delegation of authority required by subsection (b)(3).

(e) Report

Not later than 2 years after the commencement of operations of the Office, the Secretary shall submit to the committees referred to in subsection (d) a report describing—

(1) any progress in or resulting from the utilization of the Tank Waste Remediation System; and

(2) any improvements in the management structure of the Department at Hanford with respect to the Tank Waste Remediation System as a result of the Office.

(f) Termination

(1) The Office shall terminate on the later to occur of the following dates:

(A) September 30, 2010.

(B) The date on which the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management determines, in consultation with the head of the Office, that continuation of the Office is no longer necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the Department of Energy under the Tri-Party Agreement.

(2) The Assistant Secretary shall notify, in writing, the committees referred to in subsection (d) of a determination under paragraph (1).

(3) In this subsection, the term “Tri-Party Agreement” means the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order entered into among the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the State of Washington Department of Ecology.

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