Plutonium Pit Production

WASHINGTON — Brandon Williams, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said Wednesday the agency is rebidding the contract for Savannah River Site due to a “not acceptable” performance on the pit production program. “We are rebidding the contract because we agree with you that the timeline and the budget is not acceptable,” Williams said […]

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently over the Department of Energy’s decision to redirect funding intended for the Savannah River Site to weapons production efforts at Los Alamos National Laboratory. During a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development subcommittee hearing in late April, Graham said $149 million appropriated through reconciliation for […]

Brandon Williams, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said Wednesday the agency is rebidding the contract for Savannah River Site due to a “not acceptable” performance on the pit production program. “We are rebidding the contract because we agree with you that the timeline and the budget is not acceptable,” Williams said while testifying […]

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently over the Department of Energy’s decision to redirect funding intended for the Savannah River Site to weapons production efforts at Los Alamos National Laboratory. During a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development subcommittee hearing in late April, Graham said $149 million appropriated through reconciliation for […]

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) pressed David Beck, deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), on whether the agency’s fiscal 2027 budget reflects a shifting strategy on plutonium pit production. During a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development hearing last week, the ranking member of both the subcommittee and full committee […]

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La) last week questioned whether the United States needs to pursue two separate plutonium pit production facilities, signaling potential scrutiny ahead as lawmakers weigh rising nuclear weapons spending against broader defense priorities. Kennedy chairs the Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, and made comments at a hearing featuring testimony from top […]

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) pressed David Beck, deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), on whether the agency’s fiscal 2027 budget reflects a shifting strategy on plutonium pit production. During a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development hearing last week, the ranking member of both the subcommittee and full committee […]

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La) last week questioned whether the United States needs to pursue two separate plutonium pit production facilities, signaling potential scrutiny ahead as lawmakers weigh rising nuclear weapons spending against broader defense priorities. Kennedy chairs the Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, and made comments at a hearing featuring testimony from top […]

A group of environmentalists, fresh off touring the Savannah River Site as part of an environmental review, told a press briefing that “the most expensive building ever in U.S. history” is the path to an arms race. The environmental review is a result of a court case settlement between these environmental groups and the federal […]

Sen. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee, said it was “hard to see” a reason for the large spike in potential funding for the agency maintaining the nuclear weapons stockpile. “There’s a lot I can buy for $7 billion,” Moulton said, directing his question to Brandon Williams, head […]

Sen. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee, said it was “hard to see” a reason for the large spike in potential funding for the agency maintaining the nuclear weapons stockpile. “There’s a lot I can buy for $7 billion,” Moulton said, directing his question to Brandon Williams, head […]

The Department of Energy’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said last week it is preparing a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) for producing the fissile cores of the nation’s nuclear weapons, or plutonium pit production. As part of the environmental review, required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NNSA must open the review […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright confirmed Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico has “just begun” pit production in testimony Wednesday to the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee on the fiscal 2027 budget request for the Department of Energy. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), ranking member of the subcommittee, asked Wright about reforms to project […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright confirmed Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico has “just begun” pit production in testimony Wednesday to the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee on the fiscal 2027 budget request for the Department of Energy. Wright was responding to a question by Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), ranking member of the […]

The Department of Energy’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said last week it is preparing a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) for producing the fissile cores of the nation’s nuclear weapons, or plutonium pit production. As part of the environmental review, required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NNSA must open the review […]

The deadline for responses to the request for proposals (RFP) to take over management and operations for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Savannah River Site was extended from April 28 to May 13, according to a procurement notice. The highly anticipated RFP was released late February for a standalone performance-based contract, according to NNSA’s […]

The Los Alamos Study Group and Nuclear Watch New Mexico published separate statements this week criticizing the Donald Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 request for an increase in funding plutonium pit production and decrease to nonproliferation and non-weapons science programs. “Throughout this budget it is global dominance, not global cooperation, that is the stated theme. U.S. […]

The Los Alamos Study Group and Nuclear Watch New Mexico published separate statements this week criticizing the Donald Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 request for an increase in funding plutonium pit production and decrease to nonproliferation and non-weapons science programs. “Throughout this budget it is global dominance, not global cooperation, that is the stated theme. U.S. […]

Los Alamos National Laboratory is adjusting key safety controls as it prepares for expanded plutonium operations, even as routine breakdowns persist, according to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s weekly report for March 6. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Field Office approved the safety basis for Los Alamos’s plutonium facility in New Mexico during […]

A New Mexico watchdog group says recent federal analyses point to growing pressure to expand plutonium pit production at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), potentially beyond currently scoped capacity. The group refers to the lab’s most recently released record of decision and site-wide environmental impact statement (SWEIS), an analysis required by the National Environmental Policy […]

Los Alamos National Laboratory is adjusting key safety controls as it prepares for expanded plutonium operations, even as routine breakdowns persist, according to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s weekly report for March 6. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Field Office approved the safety basis for Los Alamos’s plutonium facility in New Mexico during […]

A New Mexico watchdog group says recent federal analyses point to growing pressure to expand plutonium pit production at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), potentially beyond currently scoped capacity. The group refers to the lab’s most recently released record of decision and site-wide environmental impact statement (SWEIS), an analysis required by the National Environmental Policy […]

The Department of Energy’s nuclear cleanup office is on track for substantial completion of its liquid waste mission at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina by 2037  if sufficient funding is authorized, the local field office boss said Tuesday. On March 5, high-level radioactive tank 14 “achieved preliminary cease waste removal status” on March […]

The Department of Energy’s nuclear cleanup office is on track for substantial completion of its liquid waste mission at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina by 2037  if sufficient funding is authorized, the local field office boss said Tuesday. On March 5, high-level radioactive tank 14 “achieved preliminary cease waste removal status” on March […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) greenlighted the start of full construction, or Critical Decision 2/3, for the High-Fidelity Training and Operations Center (HFTOC) at Savannah River Site. The HFTOC will function as a training facility, or a mock facility, for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility’s Main Processing Building, according to a Monday press […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) greenlighted the start of full construction, or Critical Decision 2/3, for the High-Fidelity Training and Operations Center (HFTOC) at Savannah River Site. The HFTOC will function as a training facility, or a mock facility, for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility’s Main Processing Building, according to a Monday press […]

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on Friday Feb. 27 released the highly anticipated request for proposals (RFP) for management and operations (M&O) of the Savannah River Site. The RFP is for a standalone performance-based contract, according to NNSA’s press release on the RFP. The base contract period would be five years, […]

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on Friday Feb. 27 released the highly anticipated request for proposals (RFP) for management and operations (M&O) of the Savannah River Site. The RFP is for a standalone performance-based contract, according to NNSA’s press release on the RFP. The base contract period would be five years, […]

David Beck, deputy administrator for Defense Programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), sent a memo Feb. 11 outlining “transformation objectives” for nuclear weapons at the agency. The memo was sent to the DOE’s semi-autonomous agency’s laboratories, contractors and senior officials. It lists objectives considered “achievable” by the end of calendar year 2028, and […]

David Beck, deputy administrator for Defense Programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), sent a memo Feb. 11 outlining “transformation objectives” for nuclear weapons at the agency. The memo was sent to the DOE’s semi-autonomous agency’s laboratories, contractors and senior officials. It lists objectives considered “achievable” by the end of calendar year 2028, and […]