Nuclear Security & Deterrence Vol. 19 No. 39 Wrap Up
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Plutonium Pit Production
LANL Plutonium Modular Approach to Reach CD-0 Soon
Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 10/16/2015 The modular approach to house Los Alamos National Laboratory plutonium manufacturing activities is set to reach Critical Decision 0 (approve mission need) in the imminent future, as the CD document now awaits final signature by Energy Department leadership, National Nuclear Security Administration and industry officials confirmed this week. “We have […]
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International
Russian Official: Gov’t Open to Alternative U.S. Plutonium Disposition Methods
Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 10/16/2015 A Russian official on Tuesday signaled Moscow is willing to allow the U.S. to choose a different plutonium disposition method than the mixed-oxide approach mandated in a bilateral deal from 2000. The Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) calls for each nation to dispose of 34 metric tons of weapon-usable […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
NNSA, DOE EM Approve Agreement for Transition of Cleanup Work
Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 10/16/2015 The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) have approved a memorandum of understanding that dictates the responsibilities of each entity in the transition of legacy environmental cleanup work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), according to a Defense Nuclear […]
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International
U.S. Deployed Strategic Warheads Fall Below New START Limits
Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 10/16/2015 The United States has reduced the number of its deployed strategic warheads below New START treaty limits, while Russia has increased its numbers in the same category, according to the latest aggregate State Department data on strategic offensive arms. In effect since 2011, New START requires each country by February […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
NNSA Moves Ahead With Y-12 Electrorefining Project
Staff Reports NS&D Monitor 10/16/2015 The National Nuclear Security Administration has approved Critical Decisions 1 and 3-A for an electrorefining project at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, setting the stage for replacing an “analogous capability” for purifying uranium metal that is currently housed in the 70-year-old 9212 complex at Oak Ridge. According to information in […]
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National Laboratories
DOE Seeking University-Sandia Partnership for Nuclearized Robotics
Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 10/16/2015 The Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking university proposals for a partnership with Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to conduct research and prototype development of nuclearized robots – technology capable of working in radioactively contaminated, hazardous areas – according to a special notice issued this week. SNL’s High Consequence Automation and […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DOE: NSTec’s Chemical Workplace Hazard Assessments “Ineffective”
Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 10/16/2015 National Security Technologies (NSTec), the contractor that manages and operates the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and the Remote Sensing Laboratory, faces chemical workplace hazard identification challenges, the Department of Energy’s Office of Enterprise Assessments said in an enforcement letter released last week. The letter cites "an incident involving a worker exposure to […]
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Contracts & Procurement
DOE Seeks Cybersecurity Contractor
Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 10/16/2015 The Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking a small business contractor to offer cybersecurity support to its Office of Environment, Health, Safety, and Security (EHSS), according to a sources sought solicitation posted last week. The contractor will “provide technical and administrative support resources to maintain the applications and infrastructure supporting […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Nominations Accepted for Johnny Foster Award
The ExchangeMonitor Publications & Forums is accepting nominations for the Johnny Foster Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented at the Eighth Annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit, scheduled for Feb. 16-19, 2016, in Arlington, Va. The award is named for former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Director Johnny Foster, who was the inaugural honoree in 2013. It […]