The National Nuclear Security Administration expects to complete its review of the seismic vulnerabilities of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Plutonium Facility (PF-4) by mid-March, NNSA Administrator Frank Klotz said in a Feb. 13 letter to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. The review will allow NNSA to make decisions about a new suite of seismic upgrades for the facility, Klotz said, responding to a December DNFSB letter that expressed frustration at NNSA’s progress on examining the seismic vulnerabilities of the facility. Klotz said an alternative analysis was completed in October by seismic analysis contractor Simpson, Gumpertz, and Heger. “Once the review of the alternative analysis is complete, we will understand better how to assimilate that information into our existing body of knowledge on the seismic performance of PF-4,” Klotz said. “At that time, NNSA will have the information necessary to inform and refine our path forward to ensure appropriate seismic margin for this vital, enduring facility. Plans for follow-on work, including the scope and methodology for the portion of the alternate analysis that would evaluate the probabilistic aspects of facility performance, start dates and completion, will be developed with clear technical scope through appropriate contract actions as required.”
NNSA to Complete Seismic Review of Los ALamos PF-4 by Mid-March
Nuclear Watch New Mexico seeks disclosure of pit production study
A nuclear watchdog group in New Mexico has filed suit against the Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) seeking to force disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of a study concerning costs of plutonium pit production. The complaint was filed July 23 by Nuclear Watch New Mexico in U.S. […]