Vol. 20, No. 14 
CPPNM Amendment Soon to Enter Into Force: Obama
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Non-Proliferation
U.S., Europe Set for HEU Swap
The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration and the Euratom Supply Agency on Friday jointly announced to swap nuclear material between the United States and Euratom member states. The deal, announced at the fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit, is based on a memorandum of understanding signed in 2014 between the two agencies for highly enriched […]
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Budget & Policy
Trump Nuke Ideas are ‘Catastrophic,’ White House Says
The White House on Thursday forcefully dismissed Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump’s suggestion that it might be better to have Japan and South Korea develop nuclear weapons than to continue covering them under the U.S. military umbrella. The “entire premise of American foreign policy, as it relates to nuclear weapons for the last 70 years, […]
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Plutonium Pit Production
About 60 Laid Off at SRS MOX Facility
About 60 workers, over the past two months, have been laid off at the incomplete Savannah River Site Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) in order to keep construction on track, a spokesperson for plant contractor CB&I AREVA MOX Services said Thursday. The layoffs are a result of severe restrictions on MOX project dollars, mainly because […]
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Non-Proliferation
Lawmaker Seeking New Route for Canadian Uranium
Rather than making another request for an environmental impact statement (EIS) before the U.S. transports liquid highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Canada to the Savannah River Site, U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.) is instead asking to remove from consideration the route that would send the uranium through his district. The Energy Department anticipates overseeing up […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
CNS Scrambles to Deal With Funding ‘Imbalance’ at Y-12, Pantex
Consolidated Nuclear Security, the managing contractor at the Y-12 and Pantex nuclear weapons plant, is scrambling to get its funding accounts back in order after a series of events created what has been described as an “imbalance.” Even though CNS is reportedly within its budget and meeting production goals for the National Nuclear Security Administration, […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Mishap at Y-12 UPF Site Results in Some Work Delays
An excavation contractor working on site preparations for the Uranium Processing Facility in late January accidentally demolished a storm drain line on the west side of the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Tennessee, resulting in some activities at the construction site being put on hold for a month or more, according to a Defense Nuclear […]
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Naval Nuclear Propulsion
GD Electric Boat Chosen To Take Lead Role for Ohio Replacement Sub
Valerie Insinna Defense Daily 4/1/2016 The Navy has named General Dynamics Electric Boat the prime contractor for the Ohio replacement submarine, while Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding will take a secondary role in designing and constructing the new boomers, according to a new strategy released this week. Design and construction work will be split 80-20 between Electric Boat and […]
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Non-Proliferation
U.S. Releases Accounting of HEU Holdings
The White House on Thursday released a specific accounting of U.S. highly enriched uranium holdings as of Sept. 30, 2013. This was the first such release in 15 years, according to a fact sheet issued on the first day of the Obama administration’s fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit. The possibility that terrorists might access […]
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Non-Proliferation
Industry Leaders Commit to Ongoing Nuclear Security Enhancements
Global nuclear industry leaders pledged this week to improve nuclear security practices, enhance security culture within the industry, and improve their defenses against cyberattacks to fulfill their role in the global nuclear security architecture. Industry leaders presented Wednesday a joint statement of their commitments to the national leaders participating in the Nuclear Security Summit this […]
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Non-Proliferation
State Dept. Officials Foresee Future Strategic Stability Talks, Nuclear Security Work with Russia
Senior U.S. State Department officials said this week that despite Russia’s withdrawal from the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit and political challenges that have prevented the current administration from developing a strategic partnership with the country, a return to negotiations is inevitable and joint nonproliferation work continues. Frank Rose, assistant secretary of state for arms control, […]
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Plutonium Pit Production
Russia Could OK New U.S. Plutonium Disposition Plan: Expert
Russia is prepared to accept a revised U.S. plan for disposal of surplus weapon-usable plutonium, provided it is assured the process could not be reversed, a Russian expert said Wednesday. The United States and Russia in 2000 agreed to each dispose of 34 metric tons of excess plutonium via conversion into mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel for nuclear […]
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Non-Proliferation
Dem Lawmakers, Nobel Laureates Outline Actions to Sustain Nuclear Security Summit Progress
Two letters sent this week to President Obama and national leaders attending the Nuclear Security Summit underscore the importance of concerted efforts to secure nuclear materials and offer technical areas of opportunity for continued progress following the end of the summit process. In a March 28 letter, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ed […]
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Budget & Policy
Alexander, Udall Call on Labor to Postpone New Rules for Sick Worker Program
U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) sent a letter Thursday to Labor Secretary Thomas Perez urging him to postpone the implementation of more than 70 proposed rule changes to the government’s compensation program for sick nuclear workers. The senators said some of the changes to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness and Compensation […]
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Plutonium Pit Production
SRS CAB Members Critical of Downblending Presentation
Members of the Savannah River Site Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) said they walked away with more questions than answers Tuesday following a presentation on the downblending method of plutonium disposition. Instead of using the incomplete SRS Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) to convert 34 metric tons of weapon-usable plutonium to nuclear fuel, the Obama […]