DOE has established a variety of work processes for its employees (including DOE federal, contractor, and subcontractor employees) to raise concerns so that they are assessed and appropriate actions are taken. Employees are to use these processes to resolve issues at the lowest possible level. In rare cases, an employee may decide that despite those efforts, there remains a concern about a technical issue with a potential for significant impact to the environment, safety or health.

If you have a concern involving a technical issue with a potential for significant impact to the environment, safety or health and you have tried unsuccessfully to ensure that it is adequately addressed through lower-level processes, please consider whether you should file a Differing Professional Opinion (DPO) through the DPO process discussed on this page and in DOE O 442.2 Chg 1 (PgChg), Differing Professional Opinions for Technical Issues Involving Environmental, Safety, and Health Technical Concerns. If you decide you should, please read the DPO process in the link below, complete the suggested form and the relevant information, and submit your concern to the appropriate DOE DPO Manager identified below.

Submit your DPO

  • Use the DPO submittal form to file your DPO or
  • Use the links below to submit your DPO to a DPO Manager.

TABLE OF ASSIGNED DPO MANAGERS

 

IF YOUR DPO INVOLVES:

SUBMIT YOUR DPO TO:

E-MAIL

MAIL

For the Office of the Under Secretary for Nuclear Security1

Any facility

Stephen Wallace

stephen.wallace@nnsa.doe.gov
(301-903-1896)

Stephen Wallace 
Senior Technical Advisor, Office of Safety (NA-ESH-20/GTN)
National Nuclear Security 
  Administration 
U.S. Department of Energy 
1000 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20585

For the Office of the Under Secretary for Science

Any Office of Science hazard category 1, 2 or 3 nuclear facility2

Joanna Serra

Joanna.Serra@science.doe.gov
(301-903-6136)

Joanna Serra
Senior Nuclear Safety Advisor
Office of Science (SC-4/GTN)
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC  20585 

Any Office of Science facility other than a hazard category 1, 2 or 3 nuclear facility

Richard Verhaagen

richard.verhaagen@science.doe.gov
(202-573-4016)

Richard Verhaagen
Deputy Director for the Office of    Safety and Security (SC-41)
Office of Science
U.S. Department of Energy
9800 S. Cass Avenue
Lemont, IL 60439

Any Office of Nuclear Energy facility

Robert Boston

bostonrd@id.doe.gov
(208-526-7300)

Robert (Bob) Boston
Manager, Idaho Operations Office
U.S. Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office 
1955 Fremont Ave
Idaho Falls, ID 83415-1203

For the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management

 

Any Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management nuclear facility 

Brenda Hawks

brenda.hawks@em.doe.gov
(865-805-0391)

Brenda L. Hawks
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Oversight/Chief of Nuclear Safety (EM-3.11)
Office of Environmental Management
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585

For any other facilities not covered above or safety/health concerns not associated with a facility

Any other facility not covered above or safety/health concerns not associated with a facility

Andrew De La Paz

andrew.delapaz@hq.doe.gov
(301-903-1226)

Andrew De La Paz
Senior Technical Advisor
Office of Nuclear Safety
Office of Environment, Health, 
  Safety and Security (EHSS-30/GTN)
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585
 

1National Nuclear Security Administration
2See Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 830, Nuclear Safety Management, for the definition of nuclear facility. See DOE-STD-1027-2018, Change Notice No. 1, Hazard Categorization of DOE Nuclear Facilities, for the definitions of Hazard Category 1, 2, and 3 nuclear facilities..

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: