Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile

South Carolina’s new governor thinks the state Attorney General’s Office should refile its $100 million plutonium disposition claim against the Department of Energy. Meanwhile, a spokesperson said Attorney General Alan Wilson is still contemplating his next move after a federal judge last week dismissed the state’s monetary claim over DOE’s failure to meet its plutonium […]

The contractor managing construction of the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina this week issued a request for proposals for a fixed-price subcontract to install HVAC ductwork for the project. CB&I AREVA MOX Services said the subcontract will involve the installation of ductwork, supports, and […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration is extending for seven weeks its task order with TechSource Inc., for technical support services for the agency’s Office of Major Modernization Programs, according to a notice posted this week. This NNSA office is responsible for the execution of weapon-related modernization programs in support of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, “from […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has identified a problem with loose bolts used for HVAC ductwork during construction of the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility in South Carolina, sending as a result a notice of violation to project contractor CB&I AREVA MOX Services. The MOX facility is being built to convert 34 metric tons of […]

A pretrial conference has been scheduled for later this month for two men accused of stealing more than $4 million from the federal government while working at the Savannah River Site’s Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF). In December 2015, the Department of Justice announced the indictment of Aaron Vennefron of Hamilton, Ohio, and Phillip […]

A federal judge has dismissed South Carolina’s claim seeking $100 million for the missed plutonium disposal deadline at the Savannah River Site’s Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF). U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs on Wednesday also sent another request against the Department of Energy – for the removal of 1 metric ton of nuclear […]

A federal judge has dismissed South Carolina’s claim seeking $100 million for the missed plutonium disposal deadline at the Savannah River Site’s Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF). U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs on Wednesday also sent another request against the Department of Energy – for the removal of 1 metric of weapons-usable plutonium […]

A federal judge has dismissed South Carolina’s claim seeking $100 million for the missed plutonium disposal deadline at the Savannah River Site’s Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF). U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs on Wednesday also sent another request against the Department of Energy – for the removal of 1 metric of weapons-usable plutonium […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has identified a problem with loose bolts used for HVAC ductwork during construction of the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility in South Carolina, sending as a result a notice of violation to project contractor CB&I AREVA MOX Services. The MOX facility is being built to convert 34 metric tons of […]

A pretrial conference has been scheduled for later this month for two men accused of stealing more than $4 million from the federal government while working at the Savannah River Site’s Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF). In December 2015, the Department of Justice announced the indictment of Aaron Vennefron of Hamilton, Ohio, and Phillip […]

The United States should continue modernizing its nuclear arsenal while it considers pursuing new nuclear capabilities, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said Monday at the American Enterprise Institute. “We need to modernize our nuclear arsenal and missile defenses,” Cotton said at an event on renewing American strength abroad, where he also called for rebuilding the U.S. […]

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Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS), the management and operating contractor for the Pantex Plant in Texas and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee, plans to implement a new “market-driven” compensation system once it receives National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) approval, President and CEO Morgan Smith said Wednesday in a memo to employees. The intention is […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Kansas City National Security Campus in Missouri is marking 2016 as its “best year ever” in safety performance. The NNSA site that produces non-nuclear components used in nuclear weapons said in an emailed statement that despite a 20 percent increase in new employees throughout the year, safety incidents fell by […]

Congressional advocates of the Savannah River Site’s controversial plutonium disposition project, known as MOX, are unfazed by reports that President Donald Trump intends to significantly reduce the Department of Energy budget, saying it’s too early to predict how Trump will handle the project. Multiple news outlets this month reported details of apparent Trump administration plans […]

Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS), the management and operations contractor for the Pantex Plant in Texas and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee, plans to implement a new “market-driven” compensation system once it receives National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) approval, President and CEO Morgan Smith said Wednesday in a memo to employees. The intention is […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s National Security Campus in Kansas City, Mo., is marking 2016 as its “best year ever” in safety performance. The NNSA site that produces non-nuclear components used in nuclear weapons said in an emailed statement that despite a 20 percent increase in new employees throughout the year, safety incidents fell by […]

Congressional advocates of the Savannah River Site’s controversial plutonium disposition project, known as MOX, are unfazed by reports that President Donald Trump intends to significant reduce the Department of Energy budget, saying it’s too early to predict how Trump will handle the project. Multiple news outlets this month reported details of apparent Trump administration plans […]

National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Administrator Frank Klotz was asked to stay in his current role just before President Donald Trump’s inauguration last week and will stay on until Trump confirms a replacement for the position. Other top NNSA officials, however, have left the agency. “To help ensure continuity in our critical nuclear security work, […]

The Department of Energy should take steps to correct some errors in its classification of national security information – which includes intelligence activities or programs meant to safeguard nuclear materials or facilities – according to a newly released DOE Office of Inspector General report. The IG found none of the 232 national security documents it reviewed […]

Democrats in the House and Senate on Tuesday again introduced legislation that would require the president to obtain a congressional declaration of war before launching a nuclear first strike. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) pushed the same proposal in 2016, but their bills never made it past the committee level. The […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Program Integration is modifying its contract with TechSource Inc. to increase the funding ceiling for technical support services, according to a notice posted this week. The NNSA is modifying a task order awarded under a blanket purchase agreement in May 2013 to increase the ceiling price of $5.8 […]

Democrats in the House and Senate on Tuesday again introduced legislation that would require the president to obtain a congressional declaration of war before launching a nuclear first strike. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) pushed the same proposal in 2016, but their bills never made it past the committee level. The […]

The Department of Energy should take steps to correct some errors in its classification of national security information – which includes intelligence activities or programs meant to safeguard nuclear materials or facilities – according to a newly released DOE Office of Inspector General report. The IG found none of the 232 national security documents it reviewed […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s latest financial management plan lacks the details necessary to serve as a road map for the agency’s activities, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found in a report released Thursday. The NNSA last February submitted to Congress a plan to improve the agency’s financial management, which featured a feasibility assessment, estimated costs, expected […]

A U.S. senator from New Mexico is calling on President Donald Trump to keep current National Nuclear Security Administration and Defense Department leadership in their positions until replacements are appointed. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D) said Wednesday in a letter to Trump that he is concerned about NNSA continuity of operations, as Administrator Frank Klotz and […]

In a widely noted report this week calling for hundreds of billions of dollars in additional spending for the U.S. Defense Department, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) appears satisfied with the present program for modernizing the nation’s nuclear deterrent. “There is bipartisan consensus in support of the current nuclear modernization plan – replacing our ballistic missile […]

The Obama administration has designated close to 500 additional nuclear warheads for disassembly, dropping the size of the in-service deterrent to 4,018 warheads, Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday. The unilateral decision leaves roughly 2,800 warheads lined up for destruction, according to Biden. “And we have recommended that the next administration conduct a comprehensive nuclear […]

A handful of North Carolina environmental groups are denouncing the expected shipments of 6,000 gallons of liquid highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario, Canada, to the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in Aiken, S.C. – a route of about 1,200 miles that would pass through their state. The organizations – […]

The management and operations contractor for two key U.S. nuclear arms sites improved its performance significantly in fiscal 2016, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration. However, Consolidated Nuclear Security will need to take another step forward to ensure it stays on the job past the initial term of its contract. CNS has since July […]