Vol. 22, No. 20 
No LANL Contract Award This Week; One More Bidder Confirmed
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Budget & Policy
House Committee’s NNSA Budget Funds Low-Yield Warhead, Doesn’t Fund S.C. Pits
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) would get the $65 million it seeks in fiscal 2019 for a low-yield nuclear warhead, but nothing for a new warhead-core factory in South Carolina, under a budget bill approved this week by the House Appropriations Committee. The bill, voted to the floor Wednesday 29-20 along party lines, also […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Leaked NNSA Report Sheds Light on Cost Estimate for MFFF Alternative
A leaked report from a nominally independent office within the National Nuclear Security Administration offers a trove of new details about the plan the agency must sell to Congress in order to start producing nuclear-warhead cores in South Carolina. On May 10, Energy Secretary Rick Perry said he would officially cancel the Mixed Oxide Fuel […]
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Budget & Policy
House Rules Committee to Set Terms of Debate for NDAA
The House Rules Committee will craft the rules of debate for the chamber’s fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act beginning Monday, and already members have proposed several amendments related to Department of Energy nuclear programs. One proposed amendment, from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), would entirely strip out $65 million the House Armed Services Committee authorized […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
MOX Contractor Lawsuit Going to Trial in April 2019
The blockbuster lawsuit between the Department of Energy and the prime contractor for the unfinished Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) will go to trial in April 2019, a federal judge ordered this week. Judge Thomas Wheeler of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims handed down the order the week after DOE made official its […]
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National Laboratories
NNSA to Provide Another $40M for Commercial Isotope Production Programs
The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration said Wednesday it is gearing up to provide another $40 million in cooperative agreements supporting commercial programs to develop production capabilities for the medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). That would be on top of $100 million pledged in recent years to four projects led by three companies: NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, […]
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Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad
Air Force May Seek Funding Shift For New ICBM
Marc Selinger Defense Daily The U.S. Air Force may ask Congress to move around previously approved funds for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) because the program is running ahead of schedule, according to service officials. GBSD “is on schedule. In fact, it’s actually a little ahead of schedule and we may be coming to […]
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Contracts & Procurement
BWXT Taps Duling to Head Nuclear Operations Group
Lynchburg, Va.-based BWX Technologies appointed Joel Duling president of its Nuclear Operations Groups, effective June 22. Duling, currently leading the company’s Nuclear Fuel Services subsidiary, will succeed Joe Henry, who is retiring. Before joining Tennessee-based Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) five years ago as director of operations, Duling was vice president of production for B&W Y-12, former […]
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Contracts & Procurement
Longenecker Adds BWXT Vet
Las Vegas-based Longenecker & Associates said Tuesday it has hired nuclear industry veteran Mike Briggs to the newly created post of senior program manager for operational support. Briggs, who has worked on major projects within the Energy Department complex, will oversee L&A’s operational support business, which includes training, nuclear safety, and radiation protection. “As L&A […]