Y-12 to Replace Plant Shift Superintendent Office
NS&D Monitor
2/20/2015
There are multiple infrastructure improvements under way or planned at the Y-12 National Security Complex, in some cases replacing World War II-era structures. Some projects are moving forward, while others spin their wheels. It appears now that one of several proposed projects to upgrade the plant’s emergency services has gained traction.
Budget documents have referenced replacement of the emergency operations center, but National Nuclear Security Administration spokesman Steven Wyatt said the project is actually to replace Y-12’s aged Plant Shift Superintendent’s office. “The project outlined in the FY 16 budget reflects our plans to replace the onsite Plant Shift Superintendent’s office at Y-12,” Wyatt said in response to questions. “We expect to begin design work this year and to start construction in FY ’16,” Wyatt said via email. He did not provide information on how much money is being spent this year.
According to the NNSA, the new Plant Shift Superintendent’s Office will be located adjacent to the existing one on the east side of Y-12. Wyatt said the NNSA plans to keep the Emergency Operations Center that’s located at the East Tennessee Technology Park. However, he noted that the on-site facility at Y-12 would include a Technical Support Center (TSC) that would support emergency operations. “A TSC is activated in the event of an emergency and provides site-level support to the Incident Command, including activating and deploying site response assets to the scene, mutual aid requests, technical support such as site field monitoring, and initial coordination with state and local governments until the EOC is operational,” he stated.
DOE Raises Concerns For CNS After Security Incidents Last Year at Y-12
NS&D Monitor
2/20/2015
The Department of Energy’s enforcement office is raising concerns after investigating security incidents that occurred last year involving an unclassified waste stream at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The incidents occurred during the tenure of former contractor B&W Y-12 just before Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, took over the M&O contract there in July 2014. Given that CNS is now the site’s contractor, DOE’s Office of Enforcement has identified issues that CNS should respond to. “This event resulted from failure to evaluate work control processes and operation conditions for work activities in a classified subject area, contributing to inaccurate identification and marking of classified information or information that could become classified through compilation or association,” states a Feb. 13 letter from DOE to CNS released this week.
Other areas of concern include “confusion within the workforce about what information is actually classified,” the letter states. Additionally, “contractor self-assessment of classification, classified matter protection and control, and operations security is another area of concern. The self-assessment results that the Office of Enforcement reviewed lacked sufficient scope and depth to ensure both compliance and performance consistent with classified information security requirements.” DOE has decided to not pursue further enforcement action related to the incidents at this time, the letter states. CNS did not respond to a request for comment.
