Y-12 National Security Complex contractor B&W Y-12 has ordered a stop to all production work at the site as part of a “security stand-down” in the wake of the embarrassing break-in at the facility over the weekend. The National Nuclear Security Administration said the stand-down is expected to last for approximately one week as all site employees “review security materials pertinent to overall security and job-specific security.” That includes both employees of B&W Y-12 and protective force contractor WSI-Oak Ridge. On Saturday, three peace activists broke into the site, cutting through several fences to reach its highest security area, where they are believed to have hung banners and splashed blood on the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility before being apprehended by site security. “There were some deficiencies identified by B&W,” NNSA spokesman Josh McConaha said. “It was a B&W decision and we fully support it.” McConaha declined to identify what the deficiencies were, citing classification restrictions. “A number of things have come up and they decided the best approach was to stop operations,” McConaha said. The stand-down is the first for security-related reasons at the site.
Y-12 STOPS PRODUCTION WORK TO REVIEW SECURITY IN WAKE OF BREACH
All special nuclear material at the site will be moved to vaults or vault-type facilities as part of the stand-down. “This is being done to address additional security training and execution deficiencies identified by the contractor after Saturday’s incident,” the NNSA said in a statement. “However, all nuclear materials at Y-12 are in safe, secure storage and we remain entirely confident in the security of Y-12’s facilities.”.
Y-12 completes B61-13 canned subassembly production early
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said Thursday its Y-12 National Security Complex has completed production and acceptance testing of the B61-13’s canned subassemblies, finishing the work roughly seven months ahead of schedule. The milestone fulfills a timeline NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams projected in an August interview with Exchange Monitor, when he said the remaining […]