Brian Bradley
NS&D Monitor
7/24/2015
Los Alamos National Laboratory is working to restart Plutonium Facility operations by the end of fiscal 2016 after an already two-year hiatus, according to a letter, released Tuesday, from National Nuclear Security Administration chief Frank Klotz to the Energy Department Inspector General’s Office. Managing contractor Los Alamos National Security “has developed a project plan for PF-4 that targets the end of FY 2016 for full resumption of operations,” the letter states. “Similarly, LANS is implementing an approved schedule for [Weapons Engineering Tritium Facility] restart by the end of calendar year 2015. As parts of these restart efforts, [the Energy Department’s Los Alamos Field Office] has directed LANS to improve Nuclear and High Hazard Operations in areas including, but not limited to, Conduct of Operations, safety basis development and implementation, fire protection, and preparation and conduct of readiness reviews.” PF-4 operations were halted in June 2013 due to criticality safety and conduct of operations issues. Seismic concerns shut down WETF in 2010.
NNSA officials confirmed to NS&D Monitor via email yesterday that LANL has received federal approval to move forward with the first part of the multiphased PF-4 restart, and contractors hope to begin the second phase of the restart by the end of fiscal 2015. The federal government has approved LANL’s June 5 request for federal start-up approval and the associated corrective action plan for the T-Base 2 machining activity, which could open the door for commencement of the second restart phase—the balance of machining activity—by the end of this fiscal year, according to the officials. “[W]e are hopeful that the balance of machining will restart this fiscal year,” the officials said. The T-Base 2 approval came approximately six months sooner than LANL had hoped, as the lab’s baseline schedule showed a request for restart authorization by Jan. 5, 2016.