New acting National Nuclear Security Administration chief Bruce Held is heading up a security task force established by Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, and he’ll visit the Y-12 National Security Complex today in an effort to better familiarize himself with the location of one of the most high-profile security breaches in recent NNSA history. Held, who took over as the acting head of the agency earlier this month, is expected to visit other sites around the complex in the coming weeks as part of his work on the task force. Moniz “wants a relook” at security across the DOE complex, Held told NW&M Monitor in an interview yesterday. “I think we’re better off than we were a year ago,” Held said, referencing the looming one-year anniversary of the July 28, 2012, security breach at Y-12, “but we can be better off a year from today.” He said the new Secretary was looking to build up independent oversight of security and examine lines of communication and chain of command issues. “Those are what I’m exploring at the moment,” Held said. “But before I reach any conclusions I want to go out and talk to people.”
NEW ACTING NNSA CHIEF TO VISIT Y-12 TODAY
Groups seek NEPA review of plan to issue surplus plutonium to private companies
The South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP) is demanding the Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) conduct a public environmental review of plans to provide 19.7 metric tons of surplus weapons-grade plutonium to private nuclear companies. SCELP published the letter of demand Sept. 8 on behalf of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, […]