National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

The International Atomic Energy Agency ceremonially opened a $150-million facility in Kazakhstan to store and distribute nuclear-power fuel for peaceful uses, the United Nations-chartered body announced Tuesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank Storage Facility at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk will eventually distribute LEU to IAEA member states that […]

It was a packed house at the Los Alamos National Laboratory this week, when the Energy Department hosted would-be bidders on a new, decade-spanning contract to manage and operate the nuclear weapons facility. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which is managing the forthcoming procurement for DOE, did not release an official headcount or attendees […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration said Thursday it is is pleased with the outcome of a federal operational readiness review (FORR) for the Transuranic Waste Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico, in which 12 of the 13 functional areas passed muster. “This was a successful review in the eyes of […]

At the prodding of a senior U.S. senator, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is working on a “thorough review” of its primary plutonium-pit production facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, a spokesman for the semiautonomous Energy Department agency said Tuesday. In early August, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) — after reading […]

A portion of the Savannah River Site’s security personnel with union representation are on the job this week even as nearly 300 of their colleagues remain on strike in the wake of failed labor negotiations. Of the 337 security employees represented by the United Professional Pro-Force of Savannah River (PPSR), 48 are currently working. That […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said Tuesday it helped remove 1 kilogram of Chinese highly enriched uranium from Ghana, clearing the last cache of such nuclear weapon-usable material out of the West African nation. The semiautonomous Department of Energy agency said in a press release it cooperated with Ghana, China, and the International Atomic […]

Scott Gibbs is returning to the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico more than three years after retiring from a senior management position at the Department of Energy facility. Gibbs will be back at LANL on Sept. 5 as deputy director for mission assurance, lab spokesman Matthew Nerzig said by email Monday. Gibbs’ […]

About four dozen people representing a host of security companies and Energy Department contractors attended the Aug. 14 industry day for the new paramilitary services contract for DOE’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Among the companies represented were current security provider Centerra, BWX Technologies, Wastren Advantage, the Government Training Institute, Paragon Systems, Professional Project […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on Monday revealed it tested components of the B61-12 gravity bomb intended it is developing as part of the U.S. nuclear modernization effort. The two qualification flights took place Aug. 8 at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada, the NNSA said in a press release published on its website. […]

A federal operational readiness review (FORR) for the Transuranic Waste Facility at the Las Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico was completed earlier this month, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board reported recently. The review at the Energy Department facility began in late July and was scheduled for completion on Aug. 9, according to […]

A portion of the Savannah River Site’s security personnel with union representation are on the job this week even as nearly 300 of their colleagues remain on strike in the wake of failed labor negotiations. Of the 337 security employees represented by the United Professional Pro-Force of Savannah River (PPSR), 48 are currently working. That encompasses workers who […]

At the prodding of a senior U.S. senator, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is working on a “thorough review” of its primary plutonium-pit production facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, a spokesman for the semiautonomous Energy Department agency said Tuesday. In early August, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) — after reading […]

The Senate appears set to take up the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2018 when Congress returns from recess next week. The annual military authorization legislation — practically speaking, a policy bill that is a suggestion for subsequent appropriations bills that actually set agency budgets — would authorize the Energy Department’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said Tuesday it helped remove 1 kilogram of Chinese highly enriched uranium from Ghana, clearing the last cache of such nuclear weapon-usable material out of the West African nation. The semiautonomous Department of Energy agency said in a press release it cooperated with Ghana, China, and the International Atomic Energy […]

Scott Gibbs is returning to the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico more than three years after retiring from a senior management position at the Department of Energy facility. Gibbs will be back at LANL on Sept. 5 as deputy director for mission assurance, lab spokesman Matthew Nerzig said by email Monday. Gibbs’ return is […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on Monday revealed it tested components of the B61-12 gravity bomb intended it is developing as part of the U.S. nuclear modernization effort. The two qualification flights took place Aug. 8 at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada, the NNSA said in a press release published on its website. An […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is allowing the Energy Department to send Belgium only about half the highly enriched uranium by weight the country sought for production of medical isotopes, according to a letter the commission sent to a group of nonproliferation advocates who opposed the transfer. An export license filed by DOE’s semiautonomous National Nuclear […]

The Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is looking for small businesses capable of identifying and classifying sensitive information from amid the reams of data generated by the nuclear stockpile steward. In a sources sought request late Friday, the agency said a contractor selected in any subsequent procurement would have to handle classified work on […]

The Department of Energy’s proposed plan to remove plutonium from the Savannah River Site does not hold the agency accountable if it misses deadlines, South Carolina said this week in its latest filing in a federal lawsuit on the dispute. While the state wants the court to hold DOE’s feet to the fire, the department […]

The Energy Department’s Office of Enterprise Assessments (EA) is investigating unauthorized access to confidential information at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn., the internal DOE enforcement agent wrote in a letter to Y-12 prime contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS). The breach was identified on March 16, 2017, and CNS on July 27 reported […]

About half the workers with the Savannah River Site’s security contractor remained on strike this week as the result of failed negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement, though traffic conditions at facility entrances affected by the strike had improved, the company said Thursday. “All barricades except one have been open since last Wednesday and the […]

The University of Texas is exploring a bid to manage the Los Alamos National Laboratory after receiving the green light Thursday from its Board of Regents. The regents approved bid preparations that could cost up to $4.5 million in a Thursday meeting at the University of Texas at Austin. The meeting happened only days after […]

The University of California, a senior partner in the current management and operations contractor for the Los Alamos National Laboratory, indicated Wednesday it is “likely” to make a play for a follow-on contract expected to go out for bids in September. “The decision on whether or not to bid rests with the UC Board of Regents and […]

A United Nations treaty that seeks to ban nuclear weapons is legally unsound and would make the world less safe, a senior White House nuclear-security official said Tuesday during an unapologetically blunt address to domestic and international policy wonks at a Washington think-tank. The United Nations voted July 7 to adopt the Treaty on the […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is allowing the Energy Department to send Belgium only about half the highly enriched uranium by weight the country sought for production of medical isotopes, according to a letter the commission sent to a group of nonproliferation advocates who opposed the transfer. An export license filed by DOE’s semiautonomous National Nuclear […]

The Department of Energy’s proposed plan to remove plutonium from the Savannah River Site does not include hold the agency accountable if it misses deadlines, South Carolina said this week in its latest filing in a federal lawsuit on the dispute. While the state wants the court to hold DOE’s feet to the fire, the […]

The Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is looking for small businesses capable of identifying and classifying sensitive information from amid the reams of data generated by the nuclear stockpile steward. In a sources sought request late Friday, the agency said a contractor selected in any subsequent procurement would have to handle classified work on […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration has invited would-be bidders for the mammoth Los Alamos National Laboratory management and operations contract to tour the weapons lab on Aug. 29. Those interested in attending the tour must complete the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) badge request form and fax it to Pam Valdez at (505) 664-0273 by […]

Amid fiery and furious fact-checking and blame-chucking in the general press over the credit President Donald Trump appeared to take for modernizing the U.S. nuclear deterrent, the National Nuclear Security Administration recently observed the 22nd anniversary of the White House prohibition on explosive nuclear-weapons testing. The steward of the national nuclear deterrent marked the milestone in […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in July sent a small delegation to Turkey to train the Turkish National Police to use radiation detectors, the agency said in a mid-August press release. “The recently completed training with the Turkish National Police is an important step toward expanding our relationship with a key partner in a strategically […]