WORK ON NMSSUP FORMALLY COMPLETED JUST UNDER CAP
NS&D Monitor
4/04/2014
Work on a troubled project to upgrade security at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Technical Area-55 was formally wrapped up this week as the National Nuclear Security Administration signed off on the project’s completion, which came in just under the project’s $244.2 million cost cap. The project, known as Phase 2 of the Nuclear Materials Safeguards and Security Upgrade Project (NMSSUP), declared interim operational capability in mid-February and recently completed a 30-day “burn-in” period that is used to ensure that no problems arise as the system is implemented. The NNSA authorized Critical Decision-4 on the project this week, christening it as complete, with a total project cost of $243.2.
The project was a major headache for the NNSA and Los Alamos, and it had to be shut down in the fall of 2012 when construction problems pushed the project over its budget. The problems encountered included issues with the installation of ductwork that was to carry fiber optic cables, and because the lab lacked money to complete the work, the project was stopped for three months. In December 2012, the lab said it needed an additional $41 million to complete the project, pushing its total cost to approximately $254 million, but in an agreement with the NNSA to restart the project, the lab agreed to foot $10 million of the bill and brought in new leadership for the project. The project was expected to be completed in January 2014, but problems involving the cameras used for the security system and the sensors used caused another two months of delays. However, the project was still able to stay just under its revised budget.
The Importance of ‘Responsibility and Accountability’
NNSA Acquisition and Project Management chief Bob Raines said delivering the project under its revised baseline “demonstrated the importance of responsibility and accountability. Through focused attention to detail, and top to bottom leadership involvement, even a troubled project can be righted when clear expectations are set and all parties accept accountability for their role in project delivery.” Because of the delays, Los Alamos had to provide extra security at its Plutonium Facility for more than a year longer than expected, and the lab’s acting Deputy Director, Paul Henry, welcomed the completion of the project. “The laboratory looks forward to the increased capability and strengthened security envelope that the perimeter upgrade project delivers,” Henry said in a statement. “We could not be more proud of our Protective Force personnel who kept the facility secure without incident throughout the perimeter upgrade project.”
