The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board said Pantex management and operating contractor PanTeXas Deterrence reported a loss of power in nuclear explosive bays the week of March 7.
The Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, is a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) site that services all U.S. nuclear weapons in assembly and disassembly, and also houses special nuclear materials and retired warheads and bombs. BWX Technologies-led joint venture PanTeXas Deterrence has managed the site since November.
According to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) report, electricians at the site determined the loss of power came from a ground fault at a substation electrical bus duct. Once the power supply was disconnected and electricians inspected the area, the electricians noted an adjacent duct had degraded similarly to the first one.
“PXD [PanTeXas Deterrence] is evaluating temporary and long-term repairs to return power to these facilities,” the report said.
A spokesperson for the Pantex Plant told the Exchange Monitor in an email that personnel at the site ensured that “affected operations were in a safe and stable configuration,” and that there were no safety or security incidents that occurred due to the electrical issue. The personnel involved restored power to operations within a week and “normal operations have resumed.”
