Innovation & Infrastructure

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 2/27/2015 The Department of Energy is considering establishing a committee to help prioritize infrastructure needs across the DOE complex, a senior Office of Science official told a panel examining the effectiveness of the Department’s national laboratories this week. Joseph McBrearty, the Office of Science’s Deputy Director for Field Operations, stressed that […]

The Department of Energy is considering establishing a committee to help prioritize infrastructure needs across the DOE complex, a senior Office of Science official told a panel examining the effectiveness of the Department’s national laboratories yesterday. Joseph McBrearty, the Office of Science’s Deputy Director for Field Operations, stressed that the idea was still in draft […]

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 […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration has wrapped up work on a Y-12 National Security Complex project designed to upgrade a pair of aging facilities—Buildings 9212 and 9204-2E—and it said it has done it nearly 11 months ahead of schedule and $5.6 million under budget. The $75.7 million Nuclear Facilities Risk Reduction project refurbished mechanical, electrical, […]

Staff Reports NS&D Monitor 2/20/2015 Plans for a newly scaled-back Uranium Processing Facility received largely positive reviews from officials this week at the Seventh Annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit, held in Washington, as officials expressed optimism that the project could stay within its $6.5 billion cost cap. The UPF, which has yet to begin construction, has […]

Staff Reports NS&D Monitor 2/13/2015 The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is raising a number of seismic safety issues at two Y-12 production facilities—Beta-2E and Building 9215—that have become integral to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s revised strategy for scaling back the scope of the Uranium Processing Facility and getting out of the decrepit 9212 […]

The Department of Energy has created an Office of Technology Transitions designed to help better commercialize research efforts at DOE laboratories, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said yesterday. The office will coordinate the commercialization across DOE, managing the $20 million Energy Technology Commercialization Fund, which aims to promote applied energy research and development efforts that can […]

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is raising a number of seismic safety issues at two Y-12 production facilities—Beta-2E and Building 9215—that have become integral to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s revised strategy for scaling back the scope of the Uranium Processing Facility and getting out of the decrepit 9212 complex as soon as possible. […]

Cracks in Concrete at HEUMF Being Monitored by Y-12 Officials NS&D Monitor 2/6/2015 Cracks in the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility apparently haven’t worsened—at least not significantly—over the past year-and-a-half, but studies are still underway to determine how to address the situation at the Y-12 facility that houses the nation’s principal supply of bomb-grade uranium. […]

Hanford tank farm contractor Washington River Protection Solutions is seeking companies interested in participating in a “technology exchange” to “improve the tank farm vapor management system,” according to a sources sought notice posted Friday.  The vapors have been an ongoing issue for WRPS, as several workers last year had to seek medical attention after exposure […]

Construction Begins on RLWTF-Upgrade Project NS&D Monitor 1/30/2015 Construction work has begun on the first phase of a project to replace the aging Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Late last week, Los Alamos National Security, LLC, the managing contractor at the lab, issued a notice to proceed with construction […]

Kenneth Fletcher WC Monitor 1/30/2015 The Department of Energy is analyzing alternatives to constructing a new exhaust shaft at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, an upgrade called for in the plan for bringing the plant back to full operations. The WIPP recovery plan released last October calls for two capital asset project line items for […]

Construction Begins on RLWTF-Upgrade Project WC Monitor 1/30/2015 Construction work has begun on the first phase of a project to replace the aging Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Late last week, Los Alamos National Security, LLC, the managing contractor at the lab, issued a notice to proceed with construction […]

Army Corps of Engineers Prepping for UPF Site Infrastructure and Services Work NS&D Monitor 1/23/2015 The Army Corps of Engineers began gearing up for the next phase of the Uranium Processing Facility project this week, releasing a presolicitation notice this week for site infrastructure and services on the multi-billion-dollar effort. The work, which would be […]

A Perma-Fix Medical-led consortium announced yesterday that it had received a grant totaling $2.7 million from the National Centre for Research and Development in Poland to further develop and commercialize a prototype generator for the production of technetium-99m. With Canada set to stop government spending in 2016 on the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor, one […]

The Department of Energy yesterday awarded a $5 million cooperative agreement to Mississippi State University’s Institute for Clean Energy Technology to evaluate High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters and related nuclear cleanup technologies, according to a DOE release. The five-year agreement will run from Jan. 20, 2015, until Jan. 19, 2020.   The activities under the new […]

Full Ownership of Bannister Federal Complex Shifted to NNSA NS&D Monitor 1/16/2015 The General Services Administration and the National Nuclear Security Administration signed a Memorandum of Agreement this week to shift ownership of Kansas City’s Bannister Federal Complex to the NNSA, marking an important step in the redevelopment of the site. Bannister was home to […]

LLNL Develops Realistic Radiological/Nuclear Training Technology NS&D Monitor 1/16/2015 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said this week that it has developed a technology that will help train first responders on radiological and nuclear hazards. The technology involves injecting simulated radiation signals into the analog simplifiers of real radiation detectors that are used by first responders and […]

Medical Imaging Firm Offers $1 Million Investment Jeremy L. Dillon RW Monitor 1/16/2015 Perma-Fix Environmental Services’ medical isotope subsidiary, Perma-Fix Medical, entered into a strategic partnership and secured a $1 million investment from Digirad Corporation to help the subsidiary develop and commercialize its technetium-99m production technology, Perma-Fix announced this week. With Canada set to stop […]

Jeremy L. Dillon RW Monitor 1/16/2015 Kurion received a contract to develop a robotic arm to repair reactor primary containment leaks at the Fukushima Daii-chi Nuclear Power Plant, the company said this week. The contract from IHI Corporation calls for Kurion to produce its robotic system, entitled the ‘Fukushima Repair Manipulator,’ for a targeted deployment […]

Kurion has been awarded a contract to develop a robotic arm to repair reactor primary containment leaks at the Fukushima Daii-chi Nuclear Power Plant, the company announced today. The contract from IHI Corporation calls for Kurion to produce its robotic system, titled the ‘Fukushima Repair Manipulator,’ for a targeted deployment of mid-2016 within the Unit […]

SHINE Medical Technologies announced yesterday a long-term development and supply agreement with Phoenix Nuclear Labs to provide further funding for PNL to refine their neutron generator technology for the production of molybdenum-99. SHINE is one of several companies trying to get through the regulatory hurdles to begin the production of the medical isotope used in […]

Perma-Fix Environmental Services announced yesterday that it officially received a U.S. patent for its resin production technology used in the separation of Technetium-99 from molybdenum-99. Perma-Fix had announced in August of last year that the U.S. Patent Office had granted the company a notice of allowance for all claims in the patent application. “We have […]

Jeremy L. Dillon RW Monitor 12/12/2014 Kurion announced this week the opening of a United Kingdom office, Kurion Limited, to better support operations in Europe. The new office, which former Chief Operating Officer Phil Ohl will lead as Vice President of European Operations, marks Kurion’s second international office, following the opening of its Japanese headquarters […]

Site Prep Work for UPF on Schedule, Under Budget, NNSA Says NS&D Monitor 12/12/2014 The National Nuclear Security Administration says site preparation activities for the Uranium Processing Facility is on schedule and under budget, adding that there’s been no recorded accident or injury over the past 500-plus days. The preparations are taking place on the […]

Kurion announced yesterday the opening of a United Kingdom office to better support operations in Europe. The new office, which former Chief Operating Officer Phil Ohl will lead as Vice President of European Operations, marks Kurion’s second international office, following the opening of its Japanese headquarters earlier this year. According to the company, the attraction […]

U.S. Nuclear Infrastructure Council (NIC) Chairman Eric Knox announced yesterday he will step down from his position “to allow for new ideas and perspectives,” he said. Knox served as Chair for three years, and he will continue to serve as Chairman Emeritus of the Executive Committee. The NIC is a membership organization dedicated to the […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 11/21/2014 KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—Uranium Processing Facility project officials provided the first glimpse of the new approach on the revamped multi-billion-dollar project this week, revealing that the structure will consist of three main buildings. The approach represents a departure from the “big box” strategy that was scrapped earlier this year because of massive […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 11/21/2014 As part of an effort to revamp shipyards, which house aging SSBNs and staff a rapidly aging civilian workforce, the Navy plans to update infrastructure at Strategic Weapons Facilities, and to hire approximately 2,450 civilian shipyard and refit facility workers. Hiring will include 100 military and civilian personnel for the […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 11/21/2014 The Department of Energy is investing $425 million in its pursuit of exascale supercomputing, including the award of two new supercomputers at the Oak Ridge and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced the awards late last week, as well as a $100 million boost to DOE’s FastForward […]