Vol. 24, No. 19 
NNSA Tracking Handful of New COVID-19 Cases; Infections Near Pantex Skyrocket
-
Budget & Policy
Delays for NNSA Programs ‘Inevitable’ Due to COVID-19, HASC Ranking Member Says
While some program delays are “inevitable” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has done an adequate job of sustaining its nuclear-weapon work while minimizing the spread of disease among its workforce, the House’s top GOP military policy maker said Thursday. “There has been some criticism at NNSA, just like in […]
-
Plutonium Pit Production
Appeals Judges Appear Divided About DOE’s Ability to Pay Big Plutonium Fine to S.C.
A panel of federal appeals judges this week appeared split about whether the law allows the Department of Energy to pay South Carolina $200 million for warehousing tons of plutonium at the Savannah River Site since 2016. The Energy Department does not deny that it would be on the hook for those fines — written […]
-
Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Y-12 Manager Dodges $1M in Penalties for 13 Safety Violations
Contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security dodged more than $1 million in fines from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) for criticality safety violations in 2017 and 2018 at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee. At issue were accumulations of fissile material in processing equipment housed in Building 9212, the Cold War-era uranium processing facility at […]
-
Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Defense Business Powers BWXT Through Pandemic in 1Q
BWX Technologies brought in $542 million in first-quarter 2020 revenue, 30% more than the $416 million generated during the first three months of 2019. Net income for the period ended March 31 amounted to $75.5 million, $0.79 per diluted share, a significant year-over-year jump from $49 million, $0.51 per diluted share, the Lynchburg, Va.-based company […]
-
Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Honeywell Outperformed Internal Expectations in 1Q, but Sees Major COVID-19 Headwinds
Honeywell, which owns or has a stake in multiple defense-nuclear site-management contractors, did better than it expected in the first quarter of 2020, but sees economic headwinds due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Quarterly net income for the period ended March 30 rose to more than $1.5 million, or $2.21 a share, from around $1.4 […]
-
Naval Nuclear Propulsion
Huntington Ingalls Fears Coronavirus Cramp After Strong First Quarter
By Cal Biesecker Defense Daily A pension benefit combined with strong operating results at its shipbuilding businesses drove a strong first quarter at Huntington Ingalls Industries, although workforce impacts at the company’s shipyards led it to forecast sales this year at the low end of prior guidance and company officials signaled uncertainty going forward. Net income […]
-
Plutonium Pit Production
NNSA Won’t Extend Comment Period on LANL Pit Review Any Further
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has decided it will not further extend the public comment period for an environmental review of the planned pit production plant at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Last month, at the request of constituents organized by the Santa Fe advocacy organization Nuclear Watch New Mexico, Sens. Tom […]
-
Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
DNFSB Gives Energy Dept. More Time to Reply to Recommendation on Nuke Safety Reg
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) is giving the Department of Energy a little more time to respond to a recommendation against proceeding with proposed changes to federal nuclear safety management rules. “The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board has received your April 27, 2020, letter requesting a 45-day extension to provide a response regarding […]
-
Budget & Policy
White House Nomination Wave Includes Two For DNFSB
The White House this week shoveled more than 30 nominations to the newly returned Senate, including two for positions on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. Former Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Chair Joyce Connery was nominated to serve a term ending Oct. 18, 2024, while Thomas Summers, former vice commander of the 91st […]
-
Non-Proliferation
Trump Admin Nominates New State Dept. Arms Control Chief
The Donald Trump administration this week nominated Marshall Billingslea, the former Treasury Department antiterrorism official nominally in charge of nuclear arms control negotiations, as undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. Billingslea, as special presidential envoy for arms control, is already the point person for the White House’s more-or-nothing attempt to secure a […]
-
International
Centrus Chief to Receive High Honor From Japanese Government
Centrus Energy CEO Daniel Poneman will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from the Japanese government for his work as deputy energy secretary during the Barack Obama administration. Japan will recognize Poneman for “his contributions towards enhancing the relationship between Japan and the United States of America in the energy sector,” […]
-
Non-Proliferation
Menendez, Rubio Will ‘Explore’ Changes to Atomic Energy Act to Tighten Oversight on Nuclear Exports
The two senators who ordered a report about the Donald Trump administration’s attempts to sell nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia said this week they would consider changing the law to mandate more transparency from the White House about such efforts. In a joint statement Monday, Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said […]