Oak Ridge Today

ORNL locked down Sunday as officials investigate security concern

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory was locked down for more than four hours on Sunday as officials investigated a security-related concern that turned out to be unsubstantiated, a spokesman said.

Officials took the proper precautions and stopped people from entering or leaving the lab during the lockdown, which lasted from about 8:40 a.m. to about 1:15 p.m. Sunday, ORNL Communications Director David Keim said.

“When we investigated, we found that the concern was unsubstantiated,” Keim said.

He said the security concern was reported by a U.S. Department of Energy contractor employee at ORNL. Keim said he couldn’t give more information on the nature of the report since the concern wasn’t substantiated.

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ORNL wins two DOE sustainability awards

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory has received a 2012 U.S. Department of Energy Sustainability Award for its water conservation efforts, a press release said.

The nomination, “ORNL Water Resource Management Minimizes Quantity and Maximizes Quality,” described the lab’s integrated approach to water resource management “from minimizing use and maximizing reuse to maximizing quality,” the release said.

ORNL’s water conservation program reduced water use and waste water generation by more than 288 million gallons per year in Fiscal Year 2011, saving more than $388,000, the release said.

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Oak Ridge deer hunt canceled

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A deer hunt in Oak Ridge has been canceled as a result of the fallout from the July 28 security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton.

On Thursday, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said it was informed by the U.S. Department of Energy that the hunt scheduled for Oct. 20 and 21 on the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area was canceled while security on the Oak Ridge Reservation is reviewed, WYSH said.

TWRA said it will notify the affected hunters by mail and that it will refund any fees that have already been paid for the hunt. Similar Oak Ridge hunts set for November and December remain scheduled, WYSH said.

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Oak Ridge installing 10 electric vehicle charging stations

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Oak Ridge has started installing 10 electric vehicle charging stations at five places in the city, and they should be ready to use by November, a press release said.

Two of the chargers, called Level II Blink chargers, will be installed at each of these five locations: the Oak Ridge Civic Center, Haw Ridge Park, Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, and Oak Ridge Fire Station No. 1 and Fire Station No. 2.

“The sites were selected on the basis of proximity to a frequently visited destination, or heavily traveled corridor,” the press release said.

The Level II chargers are able to fully charge a vehicle in four to six hours, and they will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The city is not required to pay an installation fee but will cover the minimal cost associated with electric consumption, the release said.

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Binder leads ORNL’s Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate

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Jeffrey Binder has been appointed associate laboratory director for Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a press release said.

It said Binder has led the Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate on an interim basis since November 2011.

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UPF could be enlarged, site work could begin by end of year

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John Eschenberg on UPF at Rotary Club

At right, John Eschenberg, federal project director for the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex, discusses the proposed $6.5 billion building with Leslie England and John Iacovino after a Wednesday morning Rotary Club meeting.

Note: This story was last updated at 9:53 a.m. Oct. 4.

The new $6.5 billion Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex could be larger than originally planned to make sure all the building’s equipment fits inside, a federal official said Wednesday.

The roof could be raised by 13 feet to 71 feet, said John Eschenberg, UPF federal project director at Y-12. That would give adequate room for process equipment used for machining, wet chemistry, and casting, as well as for the operators who use it.

To raise the roof, the building’s walls will be thickened from 18 inches to 30 inches, and the foundation will be thicker as well, Eschenberg said.

Some work at the site, which is located in the heart of Y-12, could begin by the end of the year, Eschenberg said. That work would include removing a parking lot and relocating a section of Bear Creek Road.

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President Obama signs spending measure that affects local centrifuge work

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President Obama recently signed a six-month federal spending measure with money for more work on the American Centrifuge research, development, and demonstration program, including in Oak Ridge, a USEC press release said.

The funding is part of the government’s $280 million, or 80 percent, share of the $350 million cost-share program with USEC Inc. It’s meant to prove America’s next generation of uranium enrichment technology and help national security and nuclear nonproliferation, the press release said.

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UCOR announces 21 more subcontractor layoffs

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UCOR announced that 21 staff support subcontractors were laid off Monday, and more subcontractor and trade jobs could be cut later this week.

“This is to restructure the workforce to meet our changing needs as work is completed, and also to stay within expected funding for Fiscal Year 2013,” the company said in a statement. “No UCOR employees are being affected.”

UCOR is the U.S. Department of Energy’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge.

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WSI Oak Ridge pledges to help B&W Y-12 during security transition

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Although it is losing its contract to guard the Y-12 National Security Complex, WSI Oak Ridge on Monday said it will work with B&W Y-12 to help with the transition of the plant’s protective force during the next few weeks.

B&W Y-12 announced Friday that it would end the contract with WSI. That announcement came two months after an unprecedented security breach at Y-12, and it occurred on the same day that the National Nuclear Security Administration recommended a contract termination.

B&W Y-12, which manages and operates the plant for the National Nuclear Security Administration, will now be responsible for security.

The transition of the site’s protective functions started Monday, and a WSI press release suggested it could last several weeks.

“WSI Oak Ridge will continue to assist however necessary, for as long as necessary, to ensure a safe and secure transition,” the release said. “Both parties have agreed that in the interest of Y-12, we will work together to secure opportunities for support personnel.”

The 811-acre Y-12 plant, which manufactures parts for every weapon in the nation’s nuclear arsenal, has about 500 guards. Also known as Wackenhut Services and G4S Government Solutions, WSI has guarded the site since 2000.

“WSI has enjoyed supporting NNSA, B&W, and the Oak Ridge community at large over our past decade of protective force support to the Y-12 National Security Complex,” the release said.

In its press release Friday, B&W Y-12 said active Y-12 security police officers and other active union WSI Oak Ridge employees at Y-12 and the Central Training Facility in Oak Ridge will be offered employment with B&W Y-12 at their current wages and benefits. Collective bargaining agreements with union employees will be honored.

 B&W Y-12 will also conduct an evaluation and hiring process for non-union WSI Oak Ridge employees who supervise and support Y-12 guards, the release said.

B&W Y-12 will terminate WSI Oak Ridge security contract

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Note: This story was updated at 10:48 a.m. Oct. 1.

WSI Oak Ridge, the company that has guarded the Y-12 National Security Complex for about a dozen years, will lose its contract, B&W Y-12 announced Friday evening.

The announcement came two months after an unprecedented security breach. It occurred on the same day that the National Nuclear Security Administration recommended a contract termination.

“B&W Y-12 fully supports NNSA’s recommendation in this matter and will work diligently to further enhance the security at Y-12 and make the transition for former WSI Oak Ridge employees as seamless as possible,” said B&W Y-12 President and General Manager Chuck Spencer. “We recognize that our focus on safety and security at Y-12 cannot be compromised, and we remain committed to continuing to drive improvements in both areas.”

B&W Y-12, which manages and operates the plant for the NNSA, will now be responsible for Y-12 security, a press release said. The transition will start Monday.

Y-12 manufactures parts for every weapon in the nation’s nuclear arsenal, and B&W Y-12 said it wants the transition to be orderly, ensuring that “safe and secure operations remain the highest priority.”

A company press release said active Y-12 security police officers and other active union WSI Oak Ridge employees at Y-12 and the Central Training Facility in Oak Ridge will be offered employment with B&W Y-12 at their current wages and benefits. Collective bargaining agreements with union employees will be honored.

B&W Y-12 will also conduct an evaluation and hiring process for non-union WSI Oak Ridge employees who supervise and support Y-12 guards, the release said.

It said WSI Oak Ridge employees at Y-12 and the Central Training Facility should continue reporting to work as scheduled.

There are about 500 guards at Y-12. WSI, also known as Wackenhut Services and G4S Government Solutions, has provided security services there since 2000.

WSI became a subcontractor to B&W Y-12 after the July 28 security breach. Before that highly publicized intrusion, which has brought the plant much unwanted attention and punctured its aura of invincibility, WSI had operated under a separate contract with the NNSA.

Officials said the subcontractor status would result in a “single-point accountability for security.”

During the security breach, three anti-nuclear weapons activists sneaked into the plant, cut through fences with bolt cutters, and spray-painted slogans and splashed human blood on the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, where bomb-grade uranium is stored.

A variety of concerns have been raised since then, including by members of Congress, who focused on the actions of the guards and contractors, and security cameras that didn’t work.

On Friday, NNSA Public Affairs Director Josh McConaha did not say what evidence was used to recommend a WSI contract termination.

The B&W Y-12 press release said the company began making changes quickly after the July 28 intrusion to prevent any future occurrences.

“These actions included the removal and replacement of key leadership personnel, restoration of critical security system elements to service, and refining and recalibrating of alarm system components to enhance reliability,” it said. “Through multiple corrective measures, daily site-wide alarms have been significantly reduced, and protective force alarm responses have improved.”

Federal officials recommend WSI contract termination, extend B&W Y-12 contract

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Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility

Federal officials have recommended ending a contract with a security company two months after three protesters reached the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. (Photo courtesy of NNSA/B&W Y-12)

Note: This story was last updated at 10:41 a.m. Oct. 1.

Two months after an unprecedented security breach, federal officials have recommended ending a contract with guard company WSI Oak Ridge at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

In a brief letter Friday, the National Nuclear Security Administration said it has had “grave concerns” about the ability of WSI Oak Ridge and managing contractor B&W Y-12 to “effectively perform physical security functions at Y-12” after the July 28 intrusion by three anti-nuclear weapons activists.

Federal officials said B&W Y-12 should assume direct responsibility for protective force operations as early as it can. B&W Y-12 manages and operates Y-12 for the NNSA, a separate U.S. Department of Energy agency, and the company will decide whether to end the WSI contract.

“They will have to figure out what that transition looks like,” NNSA Public Affairs Director Josh McConaha said.

B&W Y-12 officials were not able to immediately respond to the NNSA recommendation on Friday afternoon.

WSI Oak Ridge, also known as Wackenhut Services and G4S Government Solutions, now provides about 500 security guards at Y-12. The company has been the security contractor at the plant, which makes parts for every weapon in the nation’s nuclear arsenal, since 2000.

While recommending a contract termination for WSI, the NNSA has given B&W Y-12 a one-month contract extension. The B&W contract had been set to expire Sunday.

On Aug. 10, B&W Y-12 was notified that it could lose its contract. That “show cause” notice gave the contractor 30 days to explain why its contract should not be terminated.

“While we recognize that both B&W Y-12 and WSI-OR have undertaken corrective actions, neither these actions nor the response to the show cause notice are enough, at this point, to fully resolve the issues,” Jill Y. Albaugh, NNSA Production Office contracting officer, said in the Friday letter.

Although B&W Y-12’s response to the show cause was not deemed sufficient, McConaha said discussions continue between federal officials and that contractor.

“It was clear that we did not need to wait for that process to wrap up regarding WSI,” he said, although he didn’t give more information.

Y-12 National Security Complex

Contractor WSI Oak Ridge, which could lose its contract, has provided security personnel at the Y-12 National Security Complex since 2000, and there are now about 500 guards at the 811-acre plant.

Albaugh made the recommendation to end the WSI contract in the Friday letter, which was written to B&W Y-12 President and General Manager Charles G. Spencer. She said it would assure the best performance of physical security operations and help transition to a new consolidated management contract at Y-12 and the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

“This decision comes after the top leadership of WSI at Y-12 were removed and are no longer welcome at DOE sites,” an NNSA statement said. “The officers associated with the incident were fired, demoted, or suspended without pay. Additionally, three federal officials with security oversight responsibilities were reassigned.”

On Aug. 31, B&W Y-12 notified WSI that its contract could be terminated “for default” if the company didn’t take action to address security concerns, including the July security breach and an incident on Aug. 29, when a federal inspector allegedly found papers in a patrol vehicle that weren’t supposed to be shared. The papers included answers to a test scheduled to be given to guards as part of an investigation after the security breach and a copy of a test designed to quiz a random sample of a few dozen guards on policies and procedures.

WSI later announced that it had investigated the incident and found that its employees hadn’t intended to do anything wrong.

On Friday, WSI Oak Ridge Public Affairs Manager Courtney Henry said the company hadn’t received official notification of the NNSA and DOE recommendation to terminate its contract.

Federal officials have repeated an August statement by Energy Secretary Steven Chu that the Y-12 security breach was completely unacceptable.

“The security of our nation’s nuclear material is the department’s most important responsibility, and we have no tolerance for federal or contractor personnel who cannot or will not do their jobs,” the NNSA statement said.

It said NNSA and DOE have taken strong and decisive action to fix the problems that led to the security breach and are reviewing security operations at all levels from contractors to federal management to the security model itself.

“The final review in that series will begin shortly when the secretary asks observers outside the department to analyze the current model for protection of nuclear materials and explore additional options for protecting these sites,” the statement said.

One review by the DOE Office of Health, Safety, and Security has been completed. The classified report was delivered to Chu this week. It reinforced the seriousness of the incident, and it will help improve security at Y-12 and across the department, the NNSA statement said.

McConaha said there is no timeline for determining whether to end the B&W Y-12 contract. However, there is an early November goal to announce an award that would combine the management and operations contracts at Y-12 and Pantex.

McConaha said he couldn’t confirm details on the bidders.

During the July 28 security breach, three activists allegedly sneaked into Y-12 before dawn, cut through fences with bolt cutters, evaded guards, and spray-painted slogans and splashed human blood on the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, where bomb-grade uranium is stored. It’s the nation’s primary storehouse for enriched uranium.

The three protesters—Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, and Michael R. Walli—face a Feb. 26, 2013, trial in U.S. District in Knoxville on federal charges of property destruction, property depredation, and trespassing.

The intrusion has led to a string of staff changes in federal and contractor work forces, a series of investigations, a reassignment of the protective forces contract from NNSA to B&W Y-12, a temporary halt in nuclear operations, and congressional hearings.

DOE employees donate more than 11,000 pounds of food to Second Harvest

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Second Harvest Feds Feed Families

At right, John Shewairy of the U.S. Department of Energy in Oak Ridge gives Second Harvest’s John Bell, center, a food donation as part of the Feds Feed Families campaign. Aaron White, left, coordinated this year’s campaign. (Photo by Lynn Freeny/DOE)

U.S. Department of Energy employees donated 11,437 pounds of food on Thursday to the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee.

The donation was part of the national Feds Feed Families campaign, a press release said.

“This is the third year the DOE’s Oak Ridge site has participated in the annual summer campaign, which helps replenish local food banks and raises awareness about the prevalence of hunger nationally,” the release said.

Under the direction of DOE’s local federal employee mentor program, more than 11,000 pounds of food has been donated for three consecutive years, the release said.

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