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Three years after break-in, protesters return to Y-12

Posted at 7:36 pm August 8, 2015
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Michael Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed at Y-12

The three protesters who broke into the Y-12 National Security Complex and vandalized a uranium storage building three years ago returned to the nuclear weapons plant during a march in Oak Ridge on Saturday. The three protesters—from left, they are Michael Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed—object to nuclear weapons and the planned Uranium Processing Facility. Here they are pictured on Scarboro Road across from Y-12. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 8:30 a.m. August 9.

The three protesters who broke into the Y-12 National Security Complex and vandalized a uranium storage building three years ago returned to the nuclear weapons plant during a march in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

The march and rally were organized by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance as part of a series of events that commemorate the 70th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, near the end of World War II. Uranium for the first bomb, the Little Boy atomic bomb that was dropped over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, was enriched at Y-12.

The three protesters—Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, and Michael Walli—were convicted on two felony charges on May 8, 2013, in U.S. District Court in Knoxville. But their conviction on the more serious felony sabotage charge was overturned two years later, on May 8, 2015, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati. Boertje-Obed, Rice, and Walli were released on May 16 and have a re-sentencing hearing on September 15 in Knoxville. [Read more…]

Filed Under: DOE, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: anti-nuclear weapons activists, Ardeth Platte, atomic bomb, Carol Gilbert, Denise Laffan, Greg Boertje-Obed, HEUMF, Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, Hiroshima, Japan, JR Dazo, Ken Jones, march, Megan Rice, Michael Walli, Nagasaki, New Hope Center, nuclear weapons, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, peace cranes, property depredation, rally, Ralph Hutchison, Roberto Guzman, sabotage, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, U.S. District Court, UPF, uranium processing facility, uranium storage building, World War II, Y-12 National Security Complex

Guest column: B&W Y-12 improved Y-12, made a big difference in the community

Posted at 2:01 pm June 23, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Guest Columns Leave a Comment

David Bradshaw

David Bradshaw

By David Bradshaw

It has been almost 14 years since B&W Y-12 LLC took over operation of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

Soon a new contractor will be in charge. Thanks to the work of the B&W Y-12 team and many others, they will inherit a very different and much improved facility.

One only needs to approach Y-12 to see the changes. The first thing you will see is the New Hope Center, built as a public-private partnership and located just outside the secure gates of Y-12 to make sure public access is easy. It has conference space, an outstanding auditorium, and a museum that highlights everything from Y-12’s critical role in the Manhattan Project, to the NASA “moon box” built by Y-12, to Y-12’s role in winning the Cold War. Y-12 had always been a secret place and this space built with the public in mind was a major change.

The modernization process is even more obvious inside the gate. Y-12 completed and opened the new Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility. It’s a state of the art building. The new Uranium Processing Facility will be just as impressive with design work well underway. Both facilities allow the U.S. Department of Energy to close down old buildings that date back to the Manhattan Project. With the HEUMF and UPF in place, Y-12 will be far more efficient with operations not only more secure, but centralized in one place instead of being spread out over several locations. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Guest Columns, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nonprofits, Oak Ridge, Opinion, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: B&W Y-12, B&W Y-12 LLC, Chamber of Commerce, Cold War, David Bradshaw, East Tennessee, East Tennessee Economic Council, HEUMF, Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, Innovation Valley, Jack Case Center, Manhattan Project, mentor/protégé, moon box, New Hope Center, nonprofits, public education, radioactive material, small businesses, U.S. Department of Energy, UPF, uranium processing facility, Y-12 National Security Complex

U.S. attorney: Y-12 security compromises will be vigorously prosecuted

Posted at 9:46 am February 20, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Bill Killian

William C. “Bill” Killian

U.S. Attorney William C. “Bill” Killian commended the sentences given to the three Y-12 protesters on Tuesday, and he said he hoped it would send a strong message.

“The Y-12 National Security Complex plays a critical role in our country’s national defense,” Killian said in a Wednesday statement. “People cannot take the law into their own hands and unlawfully intrude upon sensitive government facilities. Those who violate the law and compromise the security of the Y-12 National Security Complex will be vigorously prosecuted.”

The three anti-nuclear weapons activists were convicted of sabotage in May 2013 for breaking into Y-12 on July 28, 2012, cutting through high-security fences, and splashing blood and spray-painting slogans on the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility. The fortress-like HEUMF stores most of the nation’s bomb-grade uranium. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Top Stories, Y-12 National Security Complex, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: Amul R. Thapar, anti-nuclear weapons activists, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Greg Boertje-Obed, HEUMF, Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, Jeffrey Theodore, Megan Rice, Michael Walli, national defense, Office of Inspector General, prison, sentences, supervised release, U.S. Department of Energy, William C. "Bill" Killian, Y-12 National Security Complex, Y-12 security

Judge says Y-12 protesters not contrite as snow delays sentencing

Posted at 1:06 pm January 29, 2014
By John Huotari 5 Comments

Y-12 Plowshares Protesters

Pictured above are the three anti-nuclear weapons protesters who broke into the Y-12 National Security Complex on July 28, 2012, and vandalized a uranium storage building. From left, they are Michael Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed.

KNOXVILLE—The three protesters who cut through fences and vandalized a uranium storage building at the Y-12 National Security Complex in July 2012 have not shown contrition or accepted responsibility for what they’ve done, a federal judge said during a Tuesday sentencing hearing.

The three anti-nuclear weapons activists—Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, and Michael R. Walli—have acknowledged that they splashed human blood, hung crime scene tape, and hammered on the side of the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility on July 28, 2012. They have freely given interviews to reporters and admitted that they spray-painted slogans—they called them “Biblical graffiti”—on the side of the HEUMF, which stores most of the nation’s bomb-grade uranium.

But acknowledging their actions is not the same as contrition, U.S. District Judge Amul R. Thapar suggested during a Tuesday sentencing hearing at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Courthouse in Knoxville. To accept responsibility, the trio would have to show contrition and remorse, and acknowledge that what they did was wrong, Thapar said.

However, the defendants have fought the government at every step in the 18-month-old case, the judge said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, National Nuclear Security Administration, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12, Y-12 National Security Complex, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: Amul R. Thapar, Andy Anderson, B&W Y-12, Bill Quigley, Chrissy Nesbitt, civil disobedience, Greg Boertje-Obed, HEUMF, Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, Howard H. Baker Jr. Courthouse, Jeffrey E. Theodore, Megan Rice, Michael R. Walli, Michele Naar-Obed, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, nuclear weapons, protesters, restitution, Rodney L. Johnson, security breach, sentencing, Transform Now Plowshares, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. District Court, uranium, WSI Oak Ridge, Y-12 National Security Complex, Y-12 protesters

Y-12 repairs roll-up door that failed to close during fire alarm at HEUMF

Posted at 8:36 am August 8, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility

Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility (Photo courtesy of NNSA/B&W Y-12)

Workers have repaired a roll-up door that failed to close when a fire alarm system was activated at a high-security uranium storage building at the Y-12 National Security Complex in May.

“The fire alarms were activated due to smoke from a belt of a fan with a failed bearing, but there was no fire,” the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board said in a May 24 report. “The signal to the door closure device should cause a cable to release, allowing the door to close, but this did not occur because permanent deformation (kinks) in the cable caused it to knot when tension was released.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Top Stories, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, DNFSB, Ellen Boatner, fire alarm, fire suppression, HEUMF, Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, roll-up door, uranium processing facility, uranium storage, Y-12 National Security Complex

B&W Y-12 names Bill Tindal vice president for production

Posted at 4:19 pm July 10, 2013
By Y-12 National Security Complex Leave a Comment

Bill Tindal has been named B&W Y-12 vice president for production, effective July 26. He is replacing Joel Duling, who has accepted a position at Nuclear Fuel Services, a subsidiary of Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Operations Group Inc., in Erwin, Tenn.

“Bill is uniquely suited for this role given his production expertise and years of experience,” said B&W Y-12 President and General Manager Chuck Spencer. “Joel has done a great job for Y-12, and we are excited for him and wish him well in his new opportunity.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Top Stories, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: B&W Y-12, Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Operations Group Inc., Bill Tindal, Chuck Spencer, Dave Richardson, HEUMF, Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, Joel Duling, Nuclear Fuel Services, vice president for production

Y-12 security update outlines improvements since July 28 intrusion

Posted at 12:50 pm June 11, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Y-12 Security Repairs Chart

Since three protesters broke in last summer, security cameras and sensors have been repaired and replaced. There are more security patrols at the Y-12 National Security Complex and more staff in the Central Alarm Station. And officials and workers are trying to reduce the false and nuisance alarm rate.

Those are among the improvements highlighted in a Y-12 security update published in May. It said Y-12 quickly began making changes after the July 28 security breach, when three anti-nuclear weapons activists broke into the plant before dawn, cut through three fences in the high-security Protected Area, and splashed human blood, spray-painted slogans, and hammered on the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, where most of the nation’s bomb-grade uranium is stored.

“Y-12 has carefully examined the circumstances that led to the event, developed actions to fix the problems that were discovered, and is applying the lessons learned to our security posture and operations,” the security update said. “These actions included adding key leadership personnel, restoring to service critical security elements, and refining alarm system components to enhance reliability.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Top Stories, Y-12 National Security Complex, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: anti-nuclear weapons activists, B&W Y-12, boundary fence, Central Alarm Station, critical security elements, CSE, false alarm, Force-on-Force, guards, HEUMF, intrusion, nuisance alarm, patrols, Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Assessment System, PIDAS, protective force, protesters, Rod Johnson, security breach, security cameras, sensors, WEPAR, West End Protected Area Reduction, WSI Oak Ridge, Y-12 National Security Complex, Y-12 security update

Energy Secretary Moniz visits Y-12 National Security Complex

Posted at 8:00 am June 6, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Energy Secretary Visits Y-12

U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, right, tours the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility during his visit Monday to the Y-12 National Security Complex. Joining him are, from left, B&W Y-12 President and General Manager Chuck Spencer, Julie Huff of B&W Y-12’s Materials Management Organization, B&W Y-12 Senior Vice President of Security Rod Johnson, and NNSA Production Office Manager Steve Erhart.

New U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz visited the Y-12 National Security Complex this week.

Before touring production and storage facilities at the site, Moniz held an all-hands meeting with Y-12, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and federal employees at Y-12’s New Hope Center. Joining him at the meeting was U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican whose district includes Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Filed Under: National Nuclear Security Administration, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Chuck Fleischmann, DOE, Energy Secretary, HEUMF, Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, Lamar Alexander, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, U.S. Department of Energy

Y-12 camera didn’t work, hammering trespassers mistaken for maintenance

Posted at 8:27 pm August 31, 2012
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility

Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility (Photo courtesy of NNSA/B&W Y-12)

Note: This story was last updated at 10:40 p.m.

A special federal report published Wednesday documents alleged failures that allowed three anti-nuclear weapons activists to sneak into the Y-12 National Security Complex on July 28, penetrate a high-security area, and spray-paint slogans and splash human blood on a building that stores bomb-grade uranium.

Among the findings: A critical security camera in an area penetrated by the protesters hadn’t worked for about six months, and guards assumed the trespassers were maintenance workers when they used hammers to beat on the walls of the uranium storage building, officially known as the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility.

The failures in the $150 million security system at Y-12, which has “long enjoyed a reputation as one of the most secure facilities in the United States,” raised serious questions, said the 18-page report by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General.

“We identified troubling displays of ineptitude in responding to alarms, failures to maintain critical security equipment, over-reliance on compensatory measures, misunderstanding of security protocols, poor communications, and weaknesses in contract and resource management,” said the report, signed by Inspector General Gregory H. Friedman.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: Gregory H. Friedman, HEUMF, Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, security breach, Thomas D'Agostino, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General, Y-12 National Security Complex

Y-12 cameras weren’t working, guards failed to react, federal letter says

Posted at 7:57 pm August 14, 2012
By John Huotari 6 Comments

Transform Now Plowshares

The three anti-nuclear weapons activists pictured above sneaked into a high-security area at the Y-12 National Security Complex on July 28 and triggered a security crisis that has led to personnel changes, a temporary halt in nuclear operations, and a potential termination of a federal contract with B&W Y-12. From left to right, the three protesters are Michael R. Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed. (Submitted photo)

Note: This story was last updated at 9:32 a.m. Aug. 15.

Many security cameras weren’t working when three anti-nuclear weapons activists sneaked into the Y-12 National Security Complex early in the morning on Saturday, July 28, a federal official said in a critical letter released Tuesday evening.

One of those cameras was near a fence penetrated by the protesters, who allegedly used bolt-cutters to slice through three fences before they walked to a high-security building known as the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, where bomb-grade uranium is stored.

The intruders, who allegedly spray-painted slogans and splashed human blood on the HEUMF, set off many alarms in a “multi-layered sensor system” in a fence line, but the Y-12 protective force failed to react, the official said.

When guards alerted by the alarms responded with a vehicle patrol, it took them too long to arrive at the scene, and once there, they “failed to take appropriate steps to take control of the situation,” said the official, National Nuclear Security Administration Contracting Officer Jill Y. Albaugh. She said a responding supervisor finally took control and removed the protesters.

Written Friday, Albaugh’s letter gives Babcock and Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, the plant’s managing and operating contractor, 30 days to show why the federal government should not proceed to terminate its contract.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: B&W Y-12, Babcock and Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, Contracting Officer Jill Y. Albaugh, Darrel P. Kohlhorst, G4S Government Solutions Inc., Greg Boertje-Obed, HEUMF, Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, Megan Rice, Michael R. Walli, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, security breach, Transform Now Plowshares, Y-12 National Security Complex

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