NNSA to Complete Seismic Review of Los Alamos PF-4 by Mid-March
NS&D Monitor
2/27/2015
The National Nuclear Security Administration expects to complete its review of the seismic vulnerabilities of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Plutonium Facility (PF-4) by mid-March, NNSA Administrator Frank Klotz said in a Feb. 13 letter to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. The review will allow NNSA to make decisions about a new suite of seismic upgrades for the facility, Klotz said, responding to a December DNFSB letter that expressed frustration at NNSA’s progress on examining the seismic vulnerabilities of the facility.
Klotz said an alternative analysis was completed in October by seismic analysis contractor Simpson, Gumpertz, and Heger. “Once the review of the alternative analysis is complete, we will understand better how to assimilate that information into our existing body of knowledge on the seismic performance of PF-4,” Klotz said. “At that time, NNSA will have the information necessary to inform and refine our path forward to ensure appropriate seismic margin for this vital, enduring facility. Plans for follow-on work, including the scope and methodology for the portion of the alternate analysis that would evaluate the probabilistic aspects of facility performance, start dates and completion, will be developed with clear technical scope through appropriate contract actions as required.”
LANS Issues RFI for Sealed Sources Contract
NS&D Monitor
2/27/2015
Los Alamos National Security, through its prime contract with the National Nuclear Security Administration, put out a Request for Information this week for vendors capable of handling, shipping, and storing radioactive sealed sources, and disassembling devices containing radioactive sealed sources. The scope of work for the contract will include shipping the sealed sources, removing if necessary devices from the containers, and consolidating the sources into packages for disposal. “This scope requires shipping radioactive sealed sources to subcontracted off-site facilities so they can be removed from their shipping containers, removed from devices if necessary, and consolidated into packages for interim storage or final disposition,” the notice said. “This requires the receipt and shipment of Type A and B quantities of radioactive sealed sources, the ability to provide interim storage for hundreds of Curies (Ci) of sealed sources containing transuranic isotopes and thousands of Ci of sealed sources containing beta-gamma emitting isotopes.” Qualified respondents should submit a response to LANS by March 24. LANS expects releasing a Request for Proposal for the contract sometime in the second quarter of 2015, the notice said.