Vol. 22, No. 45 
Dems Drill NNSA No. 2 Nominee on Warhead Cores, Arms Control Treaty
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Plutonium Pit Production
NNSA Should Consider Full Environmental Review of Plutonium Disposal Plan, Report Says
The Department of Energy should consider performing a lengthy environmental review of its plan to dispose of 34 metric tons of surplus weapon-usable plutonium by burying the material deep underground, a congressionally chartered panel said Friday. The department’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) might find the disposal plan easier to manage if it produces […]
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Non-Proliferation
Congress Rides in From Recess on a Wave of Nuclear Policy Moves
Lawmakers set the stage for the nuclear weapons debate to come in the next Congress with a wave of bills and rhetoric that burned the post-Thanksgiving fog from Washington this week. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) — upon whom partisans and the press have heaped presidential buzz — provided a capstone Thursday with a speech at […]
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Budget & Policy
Duckworth Nuke Whistleblower Gets Hearing in Senate Committee
Nearly lost amid higher-profile nomination hearings in high-octane committees this week is a nuts-and-bolts piece of legislation that could open the door for more whistleblower disclosures in the nuclear weapons, waste, and power industries. The bill, one of many discussed in a Thursday hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources energy subcommittee, is sponsored by […]
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Budget & Policy
Lujan Locks in Dem Leadership Role in 116th Congress
Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) will be the assistant Democratic leader in the 116th Congress come January, bolstering the political bona fides of the six-termer, whose 3rd Congressional District includes the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Luján confirmed the news in a Twitter post late Wednesday. It is a relatively low-ranking leadership post — fourth after […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Savannah River Paramilitary Contract RFP Expected by Late January
The Energy Department expects to soon issue a request for proposals for paramilitary security services at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. The notice of the upcoming solicitation was posted Tuesday on the Federal Business Opportunities website. The RFP is due to go out within 15 to 60 days, which translates to the […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Hiring Ramped Up for Savannah River Site Tritium Mission
The management and operations contractor for the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C., recently hired 24 new workers for tritium operations and plans to continue ramping up the staff. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) manages production of tritium gas under the Savannah River Tritium Enterprise (SRTE). Tritium gas triggers the chain reaction […]
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Plutonium Pit Production
Feds, South Carolina Optimistic Over Settling MOX Lawsuit
The federal government and South Carolina expressed optimism Monday that they can settle a $100 million claim over plutonium that remains stranded in the state. “Pursuant to the Court’s Order filed October 24, 2018 … the parties report that at this time they continue to believe that it is possible to resolve the pending disputes […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Bechtel Names New Nuclear Safety, Operations Chief
Bechtel has hired a veteran Energy Department and nuclear energy industry manager as chief for nuclear safety and operations within its Engineering division. Chip Lagdon will oversee nuclear safety analyses for Bechtel’s DOE cleanup and nuclear security missions, the company said in a press release. Lagdon will also work on safety and licensing for Bechtel’s […]
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National Laboratories
LANL Deploys System to ‘Intercept’ Unwanted Drones
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) says it has deployed a system at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico that can “detect, identify, track and intercept unsanctioned and suspicious drones.” The Department of Energy agency announced the news in a press release Nov. 19, shortly before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. Los Alamos’ new counter-unmanned aircraft […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Citizens Board Asks DOE to Increase Solar Energy Usage at Savannah River
The Department of Energy should increase use of solar power at the Savannah River Site as it addresses aging infrastructure issues, the SRS Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) said Tuesday. The recommendation was forwarded to DOE headquarters on a 17-0 board vote. It emphasizes the 310-square-mile South Carolina facility’s suitability for solar power: plenty of cleared land on which solar panels could […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DOE Budget Raise Outpaced Contract Revenue Growth in FY18, IG Says
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) fiscal 2018 budget increase handily outpaced the rise in dollars under contract, according to a report from the agency’s Office of the Inspector General late last week. The DOE budget rose about 10 percent to some $34.5 billion between fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2018, while the amount of money under […]
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Naval Nuclear Propulsion
Navy Looking For Separate Funding For Columbia Subs
By Rich Abott Defense Daily A top Navy official confirmed the service is looking to fund the upcoming Columbia-class nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine program (SSBN) separately from the normal shipbuilding budget. Vice Adm. William Merz, Deputy Chief Of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems (OPNAV N9) told reporters following a Senate Armed Services Seapower subcommittee hearing on […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
While We Were Out
NS&D Monitor took a break last week for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, but out affiliate publication, Weapons Complex Morning Briefing did not. Here’s a recap of some of the nuclear security enterprise news covered last week. DOE Investigating CNS For ‘Criticality Safety Weaknesses’ The Department of Energy’s Enterprise Assessments (EA) office will investigate Consolidated Nuclear […]