Vol. 23, No. 07 
Low-Yield Nuclear SLCM Might Wait Until After Other Missile, Pentagon Official Says
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Plutonium Pit Production
NNSA Says Blocking Plutonium Shipments to Nevada Will Freeze Stockpile Safety Tests
Blocking all plutonium shipments to Nevada, as the state desires, would disrupt experiments there that help the government determine whether U.S. nuclear weapons still work as intended, the National Nuclear Security Administration argued in federal court this week. U.S. District Judge Miranda Du should deny injunction requested by the state in part because it “would […]
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Plutonium Pit Production
NNSA to Hone Procurement Approach for SRS Pit Plant by Next Year
ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) will hone its acquisition approach for the plutonium-pit plant to be built at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina around September 2020, a long-time agency contractor said here Wednesday. Fluor-led… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be logged in […]
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Plutonium Pit Production
Pentagon Satisfied With NNSA Pit Plan, But Warns Civilian Agency is ‘Out of Margin’
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Department remains satisfied with the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) strategy to produce plutonium pits at two facilities, but time is short to get started, a senior Pentagon official said here. “DOD is fully… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be logged in as […]
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Warhead & Weapons Development
First W76-2 Finished at Pantex in January, NNSA Says
ARLINGTON, Va. —The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in January completed its first low-yield, submarine-launched ballistic-missile warhead, which now awaits a final design review in Texas before the agency can ship it to the Navy, an agency official… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be logged in as a […]
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Budget & Policy
NNSA No. 2 Nominee Still in Holding Pattern in Senate Committee
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Senate Armed Services Committee still has the nominee for the No. 2 spot at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in a holding pattern, the nominee himself said here Tuesday. After his nomination lapsed in the 115th Congress,… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be […]
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Contracts & Procurement
SRNS Chief Foresees Contract Extension
ARLINGTON, Va. — The head of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) hazarded an educated guess here Wednesday that the Department of Energy will soon extend his team’s contract to manage the Savannah River Site in Aiken, S.C. After a one-year, $1-billion extension… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Second TVA Reactor Could Be Licensed for Tritium Production This Year
ARLINGTON, Va. — The second of two Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear power reactors could this year obtain a license to start producing tritium for U.S. nuclear weapons, a National Nuclear Security Administration official said here Thursday. The government-owned… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be logged in as a […]
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Plutonium Pit Production
NRC Terminates MOX Services’ License to Build MFFF
In a paperwork milestone that marks another coffin nail for the canceled project, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Feb. 8 terminated MOX Services’ license to build the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) at the Savannah River Site in Aiken,… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be logged […]
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High-Level & Tank Waste
New Safety Standards Coming for Savannah River’s H Canyon Facility
Updated safety documents for a ventilation tunnel at the Savannah River Site’s H Canyon facility are expected to be approved this summer and implemented in the fall, according to the Department of Energy. The documents should reflect a different approach to how… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingWeapons Complex Monitor! You must be logged in […]
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Plutonium Pit Production
Justice Department Alleges $6.4M in Fraud by MOX Services, Subcontractor
The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday alleged CB&I AREVA MOX Services submitted $6.4 million in false invoices based on fraudulent claims from a subcontractor while they worked on the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) at the Department of Energy’s… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be logged in […]
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Contracts & Procurement
SRNS, Feds Wait on Advisory Opinion in $5M Overcharging Lawsuit
The U.S. Justice Department and the contractor that manages the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina hope a civilian board will soon offer an opinion on whether the company overcharged the federal government by $5 million. Before a decision… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be […]
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Budget & Policy
DOE Retools Employee Concerns Program
The Department of Energy is changing the rules for its agency-wide Employee Concerns Program, removing a mandate that employees be allowed to have someone other than their immediate supervisor inspect their claims, and aiming to resolve concerns quickly. The Employee… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be logged in as […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Victim of Fatal Crash Inside SRS Was Not Employee
A motorist who died in an automobile crash inside the Savannah River Site in South Carolina on Feb. 7 was not an employee of the Department of Energy or its contractors. “It wasn’t connected to our work,” a DOE spokesperson said by email. “It does appear… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence […]
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Defense & Military
Pentagon IG to Evaluate Space, Nuclear and Missile Defense Programs in FY 19
The Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General (DOD OIG) plans to evaluate 11 separate efforts related to space, nuclear deterrence and missile defense in fiscal year 2019, including whether the Air Force properly certified SpaceX for military launch… SUBSCRIBER ACCESS Thank you for visitingNuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor! You must be logged in as a […]