Publications: Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 11/7/2014 Federal charges of extortion and conspiracy charges were filed late last week against a Russian official working for a TENEX subsidiary and executives of the firm Transport Logistics International in relation to kickbacks for transportation contracts tied to the ‘Megatons to Megawatts’ program. TENEX contracted with TLI starting in 1996 […]

Brian Bradley and Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 11/7/2014 Russia is boycotting the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit scheduled for the United States, dealing a blow to President Obama’s efforts to strengthen the security of nuclear materials. The 2016 summit is expected to be the fourth and final summit, where representatives from more than 50 countries and […]

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 11/7/2014 The Energy Facility Contractors Group is eliminating nine of its 13 working groups and cutting its December semi-annual meeting following a Department of Energy request for the restructuring. The changes come as part of efforts by DOE and EFCOG to bring a greater focus to the group’s efforts and ultimately […]

NS&D Monitor 11/7/2014 Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, joined to the lineup of speakers for the seventh annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit scheduled for Feb. 17-20 in Washington, D.C. Kislyak will give a keynote speech to kick off the seventh annual gathering of weapons complex, Pentagon, State Department and industry officials. Also […]

POGO Raises Concerns About Lack of Information on UPF NS&D Monitor 11/7/2014 The Project on Government Oversight, a long-time Department of Energy watchdog group, this week said it has “serious concerns” about the lack of information being made publicly available on the multibillion-dollar Uranium Processing Facility and called for greater transparency on the national security […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 11/7/2014 Concluding a historic 69th annual session, the UN First Committee this week wrapped up its annual voting on nuclear and conventional disarmament nonbinding draft resolutions, pushing through an agreement that calls for bringing nuclear disarmament under “strict and effective” international control, and another resolution that urges the UN General Assembly […]

Lab Union Threatens Strike Over Wages, Benefits, Safety Issues NS&D Monitor 11/7/2014 Union trades workers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are threatening to go on strike over concerns about low wages, benefits and safety issues at the lab, according to one of the union’s top negotiator. Approximately 100 people attended an Oct. 30 demonstration at […]

NS&D Monitor 11/7/2014 AT THE NATIONAL LABORATORIES The Commission to Review the Effectiveness of the National Energy Laboratories held its fourth meeting this week, this time gathering at Argonne National Laboratory Nov. 4 for a closer look at the laboratories it is studying. The Congressionally mandated lab commission met with nearly a dozen officials, including […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 U.S. arms control advocates and nuclear deterrence experts alike are attaching little importance to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent calls for further arms control reductions, with some suggesting that the statements were largely an effort to improve Russia’s global image and political standing. “I think Russia is feeling some pressure […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 With about 11 months left before Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies’ contract to run the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Kansas City National Security Campus expires, NNSA Administrator Frank Klotz said this week that an announcement on the contract will come “very soon.” Honeywell’s contract to run the plant expires Sept. […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 G4S Government Solutions, the G4S subsidiary formerly known as the security contractor Wackenhut, will be sold to private equity firm Alvarez & Marsal Capital Security Holdings, LLC, NS&D Monitor has learned. The firm is an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal, a global professional services company. G4S, the massive international security […]

Member Sullivan Voted Against Emergency Preparedness Recommendation Mike Nartker and Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 Over the past two years, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board members have clashed on a number of issues, from a recent recommendation on emergency preparedness to the scope of the Board’s jurisdiction and access to Board information, according to notational […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 Consolidated Nuclear Security, the Bechtel-led team that took over management of Y-12 and Pantex in July, has awarded a no fee subcontract to its parent company Bechtel National, Inc. to build the Uranium Processing Facility, UPF Project Director Brian Reilly said in a message to employees this week. The approach […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 Project Enhancement Corporation, the contractor protesting a Department of Energy technical and security support services contract for what was formally known as the Office of Health, Safety and Security, added several new complaints to its protest late last week, challenging DOE’s decision to quickly award the contract to Link Technologies […]

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 In a management change at the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility project this week, CB&I AREVA MOX Services has named David Del Vecchio as the next president and project manager while current project head Kelly Trice will be the new senior vice president for CB&I’s power division. Trice will remain […]

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 The Department of Energy should take more steps to strengthen its cybersecurity program, DOE’s Office of Inspector General said in a report released this week. Cybersecurity has been a growing area of concern for the Department, especially after a 2013 breach of personal information of over 104,000 individuals. The IG […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 ATK senior managers are reviewing the planned merger of the company’s aerospace and defense divisions with Orbital Sciences after Orbital’s Antares rocket exploded during liftoff on Oct. 28 at Wallops Island, Va. ATK CEO Mark DeYoung delivered the information during the company’s Oct. 30 Q2 FY15 investor earnings conference call. […]

NRC Finds No MOX Violations in Third Quarter NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission found no violations or deviations for the period from July 1 through Sept. 30, 2014, the agency told contractor CB&I AREVA MOX Services in an Oct. 16 letter. The NRC releases quarterly reports on the project based on the findings […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 The United States should participate in the upcoming Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, scheduled to be held in Vienna in early December, more than two dozen arms control advocates, nuclear policy experts, former U.S. government officials and leaders of peace and security organizations said in a letter sent […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 The United States unsuccessfully opposed a draft resolution calling for steps to reduce the high-alert status of nuclear weapon systems during a meeting of the First Committee of the U.N. General Assembly. The United States also voted against a resolution welcoming U.N. Secretary-General consideration of a range of views on […]

Lab Completes Flight, Drop Tests on W88 Nuclear Warhead NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 Sandia National Laboratories has successfully completed flight and drop tests for a new variation of the W88 nuclear warhead, the lab said this week. The flight and drop tests for the W88 ALT 370 were conducted to validate designs, improve computer modeling and […]

DOE IG Raises Concerns With Pantex Corrective Actions Systems NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 New Pantex Plant contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security should strengthen its corrective actions systems, the Department of Energy’s Inspector General said in an audit report released late last week. The IG found previous plant contractor B&W Pantex generally implemented corrective actions programs, including the […]

Spallation Neutron Source Runs Into More Problems NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 Problems keep mounting at the Spallation Neutron Source, with yet another target-vessel failure and lost research time at one of the Department of Energy’s top research facilities. On Oct. 27, just a week after the SNS was restarted following a couple of other significant problems, […]

NS&D Monitor 10/31/2014 ON THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT The Russian Navy this week successfully test-launched a newly developed unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile, according to Associated Press reports. The Yuri Dolguruky SSBN test-fired the Bulava missile under the surface of the Barents Sea, and warheads hit a predetermined target range in the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia. […]

NS&D Monitor 10/24/2014 Gov’t Responds in Appeal by Convicted Y-12 Protesters Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Theodore, who prosecuted the trio of elderly peace activists that broke into the Y-12 National Security Complex in July 2012, is countering their appeal and arguing that their actions were indeed worthy of the sabotage charges brought against them. The […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 10/24/2014 The National Nuclear Security Administration has completed half of its refurbishment work on the W76-1 nuclear warhead and is on track to complete the life extension program by the end of Fiscal Year 2019, the agency said this week. The NNSA has not released the number of W76 warheads that […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 10/24/2014 AMELIA ISLAND, Fla.—As the Department of Energy wrestles with revamping its contracting approaches, increasing an emphasis on nuclear safety while cutting back on fee, it doesn’t appear likely to continue the approach pursued in Bechtel’s contract for the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant. The WTP contract sought to incentivize safety culture […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 10/24/2014 The Department of Energy has stopped work on a recent support services contract award to Link Technologies after a team led by Project Enhancement Corporation filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office late last week. The protest represents the latest turn of events in a battle over the three-year, […]