Vol. 24, No. 03

Plutonium Pit Production

No Plan to Consolidate Pit Mission at Single Site, But NNSA Won’t Deny the Possibility

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The head of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) would not rule out the possibility here Thursday that one of two planned production plants could independently supply all the fissile nuclear-weapon cores initially required for planned refurbishments of the nation’s nuclear weapons. “[W]e are not looking at [using] one exclusive of […]
  • Contracts & Procurement

    NNSA Renews JASON Contract

    The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) this week moved to extend its contract with the panel of scientists known as JASON for up to a year, while the Pentagon works to resurrect its old arrangement with the group. Also this week, the JASON team endorsed a plan for the semiautonomous Department of Energy nuclear […]

  • Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile

    Energy Dept. Again Rejects DNFSB Tritium Recommendation

    The U.S. Department of Energy has doubled down in the new year on its refusal to accept a safety recommendation from the Defense Nuclear Faciliites Safety Board (DNFSB) regarding tritium facilities at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. “[T]he Savannah River Tritium Enterprise (SRTE) provides adequate protection of the public and worker safety,” Lisa […]

  • Plutonium Pit Production

    South Carolina Says DOE, Court Wrong to Deny Promised Payout for Plutonium Storage

    In what could be the final brief before an appeals panel rules on the case, South Carolina hammered home its argument that federal law does not prohibit the Department of Energy from paying $200 million in fines after blowing a legal deadline to remove plutonium from the state. South Carolina is appealing the case after […]

  • Plutonium Pit Production

    Nevada Plutonium Lawsuit Continuing at Least to Early March

    A federal judge is not pulling the plug yet on Nevada’s lawsuit to have a half-metric ton of plutonium trucked out of the state, despite the Department of Energy’s repeated requests to dismiss the case. The U.S. District Court for Nevada has scheduled a teleconference for March 12 to discuss the state’s desire to conduct […]

  • Stockpile Stewardship

    Los Alamos Eyes 2020 Firing Day for First Nightshade Subcritical Test

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico still plans this year to begin the next round of subcritical plutonium experiments, a series dubbed Nightshade. “In order to accommodate ongoing experiment preparation, facility work, and other programmatic priorities the Laboratory is planning to execute the Nightshade A SCE [subcritical experiment] in […]

  • Contracts & Procurement

    DOE Undersecretary Touts Benefits of Stand-Alone Savannah River Lab Contract

    NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Leveraging resources from U.S. Department of Energy contractors and research universities will be a key part of the inaugural stand-alone management and operations contract for the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), DOE Undersecretary for Science Paul Dabbar said Thursday. The Energy Department is planning for a contract that would separate the […]

  • Contracts & Procurement

    Centerra Parent Downgraded by Credit Raters, Signs Forbearance Agreement

    Constellis, the Reston, Va.-based parent of U.S. Energy Department contractor Centerra Group, has reached a “forbearance agreement” with certain creditors in order to get some leeway on loan repayment while it works to shore up its balance sheet. “Constellis recently closed on a $110 million delayed-draw credit facility provided by a subset of its existing […]

  • Defense & Military

    New Strategic Command Deputy Nominated

    An Air Force three-star general has been nominated to become the deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Commander, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday. Lt. Gen. Thomas Bussiere currently serves as commander of the Alaskan Command at U.S. Northern Command, as well as the commander of the 11th Air Force at Pacific Air Forces, and commander of […]

  • Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad

    B52 Loses Nuclear Gravity Bombs, Per Air Force Order

    The U.S. Air Force officially ended the B52-H’s mission to carry nuclear gravity bombs late last year, according to an updated operating military manual making the rounds online this week. Air Force Instruction 91-111, dated Sept. 5, calls for “removal of B61-7 and B83-1 from B-52H approved weapons configuration.” Hans Kristensen, the Washington-based director of […]

  • Defense & Military

    Correction

    An article in the Jan. 10 issue of Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor, “Pit TRU Waste Would Take Up Half of Available WIPP Space Over 50 Years, NNSA Says,” should have said remarks by Todd Shrader of the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management were delivered in June 2018.

Get Published in ExchangeMonitor Publications