Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile

New House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) said yesterday that he is opposed to one of the biggest recommendations made by the Congressional Advisory Panel on the Governance of the Nuclear Security Enterprise: moving the semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration back under the Department of Energy. “I thought they made a lot […]

The Army Corps of Engineers began gearing up for the next phase of the Uranium Processing Facility project yesterday, releasing a presolicitation notice for site infrastructure and services on the multi-billion-dollar effort. The work, which is set aside for a service-disabled veteran-owned small business, includes design of a site layout play for trailers and laydown […]

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 […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 1/16/2015 Y-12/Pantex contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security is taking a “deliberate” approach to improving operations at the two sites, CNS Chief Operating Officer Morgan Smith said late last week in response to reports that federal managers had been unhappy with the pace of improvements. CNS developed an “operational excellence plan” last year […]

Staff Reports NS&D Monitor 1/16/2015 The year-end performance evaluations for NNSA contractors did not include any information on the first six-month period of Consolidated Nuclear Security, but top officials at CNS have indicated they think they’re doing a pretty good job. CNS’ first evaluation will be released as part of Fiscal Year 2015 evaluations. “I […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 1/16/2015 Y-12 contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security is seeking a source for up to 6,800 metric tons of high purity depleted uranium metal and related material and services, the company said last week as it released a sources sought notice, though it’s unclear what the material might be for.  In the Jan. […]

Staff Reports NS&D Monitor 1/16/2015 For the first time in years, Y-12 and Pantex are in compliance with Department of Energy 350.1, which governs how much federal contractors can spend on employee benefits. Consolidated Nuclear Security, which that took over management of the two nuclear weapons plants on July 1 as part of a new […]

Y-12/Pantex contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security is taking a “deliberate” approach to improving operations at the sites, CNS Chief Operating Officer Morgan Smith said late last week in response to reports that federal managers had been unhappy with the pace of improvements at the sites. CNS developed an “operational excellence plan” last year in response to […]

Staff Reports NS&D Monitor  1/9/2015 There have been persistent rumblings of low morale at the National Nuclear Security Administration’s two-site Production Office almost from its inception in June 2012, and those concerns were apparently substantiated and underscored by the 2014 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. It appeared, based on a drill-down of the results, that the […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 1/9/2015 Officials with the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Production Office in November voiced concerns about an “operational excellence plan” developed by Y-12/Pantex contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security to respond to a series of incidents over the last few years, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board said in a recently released report. The […]

NNSS Security Contractor Earns 90 Percent of Available FY14 Fee NS&D Monitor 1/9/2015 Security contractor Centerra Group received an excellent rating for its Fiscal Year 2014 protective force work at the Nevada National Security Site, earning $2.25 million in fee out of $2.49 million available, according to information recently released by the National Nuclear Security […]

Purification Facility Remains Shutdown After Chemical Spill NS&D Monitor 1/9/2015 A Y-12 facility that produces Fogbank for nuclear weapons use remains shutdown following a Dec. 16 chemical spill, and a federal spokesman refused to give a timetable for its return to action. “The Purification Facility remains shut down and is in a recovery mode at […]

NNSA Production Office officials in November voiced concerns about an “operational excellence plan” by Y-12/Pantex contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security to respond to a series of incidents over the last few years, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board said in a recently released report. The CNS plan was developed after NPO Manager Steve Erhart ordered CNS […]

The Department of Energy and Nevada have signed a memorandum of understanding formalizing the working group to address issues at the Nevada National Security Site. The state and DOE established the group of senior-level officials in 2013 after concern from Nevada regarding a batch of uranium-233 from Oak Ridge that DOE had been slated for […]

Was the Congressional Advisory Panel on the Governance of the Nuclear Security Enterprise bold enough in recommending a move back to the Department of Energy for the National Nuclear Security Administration? Congress implored the panel to take bold action, and Norm Augustine, the co-chairman of the panel, thinks it did, and he is optimistic DOE […]

Board Chairman Winokur to Retire Jan. 3 Mike Nartker NS&D Monitor 12/19/2014 In one of its last actions before adjourning for the year, the Senate this week approved the White House’s choice of Daniel Santos to serve on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. The White House nominated Santos to the Board this summer to […]

Chemical Spill Temporarily Shuts Down Purification Facility NS&D Monitor 12/19/2014 Y-12 National Security Complex officials said this week they are still in the recovery and assessment phase following a Dec. 15 chemical spill at the plant’s Purification Facility. The facility’s only acknowledged mission is production of Fogbank, a classified material used in some thermonuclear weapons, […]

A Y-12 National Security Complex facility was evacuated yesterday after a flammable chemical solvent was spilled. Andy Huff, a manager for Y-12 contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security, told reporters during an afternoon press conference that less than a gallon of acetonitrile was spilled at 10:34 a.m. at Y-12’s Purification Facility, triggering alarms and forcing the evacuation […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 12/12/2014 The Congressional Advisory Panel on the Governance of the Nuclear Security Enterprise is recommending not only a major overhaul for the National Nuclear Security Administration, but a recasting of how weapons complex contractors are compensated. The 12-member panel this week released its long-awaited report, “A New Foundation for the Nuclear […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 12/12/2014 The Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration are not adequately employing best practices in the analysis of alternatives (AOA) for major capital projects and may continue to see cost and schedule increases on its major projects, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released this week. […]

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 […]

The Congressional Advisory Panel on the Governance of the Nuclear Security Enterprise is recommending not only a major overhaul for the National Nuclear Security Administration, but a recasting of how weapons complex contractors are compensated. The panel delivered its report, “A New Foundation for the Nuclear Enterprise,” to Congress yesterday, revealing broad recommendations aimed at […]

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) fired back against a call from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for more cuts to the nation’s nuclear stockpile, writing in a Washington Post letter to the editor that Feinstein’s stance “shows a disregard for reality.” In a Dec. 3 Washington Post op-ed, Feinstein called the level of spending on nuclear weapons […]

Former Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration official Scott Samuelson is joining Longenecker & Associates as a senior associate. Samuelson retired from federal service after more than 30 years last month, most recently serving as a senior advisor within the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Acquisition and Project Management. His previous positions […]

NS&D Monitor 12/5/2014 IN THE NNSA As expected, Teresa Robbins has been named deputy manager of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Production Office. The NPO oversees the work at the Y-12 and Pantex nuclear weapons plants. It was reported in October that Robbins has been selected to fill the position, which had been held by […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 12/5/2014 An Operations Squad Commander with the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Secure Transportation “engaged in unsuitable, reportable behaviors,” the Department of Energy’s Inspector General said this week. The IG did not release its Nov. 24 report on the Office of Secure Transportation, which protects nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 12/5/2014 The United States must upgrade its nuclear deterrent and the $600 billion-$1 trillion 30-year price tag to modernize all three legs of the triad included in the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review should be manageable, National Defense Panel member and former Congressman Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) told NS&D Monitor this week on […]

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 12/5/2014 Authorized funding for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility in Fiscal Year 2015 would see a significant increase under the final version of the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, unveiled this week. The bill would authorize a funding level of $345 million and would direct that the money be […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 12/5/2014 Robert Scher, the Obama Administration’s nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities, will attend a second confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee Dec. 8, after some senators requested additional time to ask questions after the first hearing this week. Next week’s hearing will fall […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 12/5/2014 A report recently released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office last week states that a reduction of the planned nuclear ballistic missile submarine posture from 12 to eight, a delay of the start construction date of the Ohio-class replacement from Fiscal Year 2021 to FY 2025, and a deferral of […]