Vol. 20, No. 28 
House Adopts Motion to Conference with Senate on NDAA
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Budget & Policy
HASC Staff Briefed on DOE Retiree Comparative Pensions
Department of Energy (DOE) representatives briefed House Armed Services Committee staffers Thursday on a study of comparative pensions and cost-of-living increases given to retired workers from DOE facilities, according to the Savannah River Site Retirees Association (SRSRA). The SRSRA said in an issue summary statement ahead of the meeting that this briefing follows two years of […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
SRS Plutonium Downblending to Begin in September
The downblending of 6 metric tons of plutonium at the Savannah River Site is expected to begin in September, with plans to complete the process over the next several years. The weapon-usable, non-pit plutonium is not part of the 34 metric tons of material that would be processed by the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
NNSA Settles with LANS, NSTec on HEU Contamination Control
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has issued consent orders to Los Alamos National Security (LANS) and National Security Technologies (NSTec) for the loss of contamination control of highly enriched uranium at the Nevada National Security Site’s National Criticality Experiments Research Center at the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) in June and October of 2014, according to two […]
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Contracts & Procurement
SRNS, Fluor Seek Dismissal of Overcharging Lawsuit
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) is seeking a dismissal of a federal lawsuit accusing the contractor and one of its parent companies of overcharging the government more than $5 million in “unallowable costs.” In papers filed on May 20, SRNS said the Department of Justice misused the Federal Claims Act in filing its lawsuit, and […]
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Non-Proliferation
CBP Says It Needs More Personnel for Cargo Monitoring Mission
The Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which plays a key role in preventing nuclear smuggling by monitoring cargo arriving at U.S. ports of entry, is understaffed and faces challenges in properly screening incoming high-risk shipments, according to witnesses at a House Homeland Security Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee hearing Thursday. Todd […]
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Defense & Military
HASC Chair Concerned About ‘Diversity’ Of Threats
Marc Selinger Defense Daily The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) said July 7 that the United States needs to be prepared to counter an increasing “diversity” of threats to its national security. The United States has been battling terrorist groups in multiple foreign countries for 15 years, but that threat “has not […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Still No Answer on Who is Flying Drones Over SRS
Savannah River Site officials still don’t know who is behind the flying drones that have been spotted above the 310-square-mile facility near Aiken, S.C. There have been eight confirmed sightings of drones flying over the Department of Energy facility, with the most recent reported on Tuesday. “We continue to partner with federal, state, and local […]
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National Laboratories
Wrap Up: Sandia Seeking Industry Partner for Security Analysis Software
The Sandia National Laboratories is seeking a commercial partner for the development of a market-ready physical security analysis software package, according to a special notice posted last week. The collaboration, which would be based on Sandia’s security analysis methodologies, would yield commercial software with applications that involve nuclear power plant security, material control and accounting, […]