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NNSA has virtual job fair, including for Y-12

Posted at 8:37 am January 27, 2021
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The sign at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration has a virtual job fair for its laboratories and production sites on Wednesday, January 27.

The NNSA said it wants to hire about 2,000 new employees in 2021.

The virtual job fair is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday. It will include hiring officials from NNSA and its national laboratories, plants, and sites, a press release said. Those include:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, National Nuclear Security Administration, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: job fair, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, Y-12 National Security Complex

Protesters will say nuclear weapons illegal under UN treaty

Posted at 10:44 am January 22, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

OREPA Spring Demonstration at Y-12
Members of Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance and supporters gather across from the Y-12 National Security Complex to protest the plant’s Uranium Processing Facility in April 2013. (File photo)

Protesters plan to hang a banner at a nuclear weapons production site in Oak Ridge early Friday afternoon that will declare the weapons illegal under a United Nations treaty.

The banner, which will say “Nuclear Weapons Are Illegal,” will be hung on a fence across from the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex on Scarboro Road. The banner will be hung after parts of the international agreement—the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons—are read, organizers said.

Protesters said they also plan to hang a poster of the text of the treaty and 122 yellow “X”s on the fence, one for every nation that voted in favor of the treaty at the United Nations.

“January 22, 2021, will be a historic day for nuclear weapons,” according to a press release from Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, which has organized weekly and annual events opposing nuclear weapons for many years. “On that day, at midnight, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons enters into force, establishing in international law a categorical ban on nuclear weapons, seventy-five years after their development and first use.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Kevin Collins, Larry Osborne, nuclear weapons, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, OREPA, Quakers, Ralph Hutchison, Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, UN treaty, Y-12 National Security Complex

Public Notice: Comment period extended for Draft EA for Lithium Processing Facility at Y-12

Posted at 5:03 pm December 18, 2020
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING FACILITY AT THE Y-12 NATIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX (DOE/EA-2145)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the extension of the comment period until January 22, 2021, for this Draft Environmental Assessment (EA), which analyzes the potential impacts of constructing and operating the Lithium Processing Facility (LPF) to process and supply the lithium material and components that are needed to support the National Security Enterprise. The LPF would be located at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) on a proposed site that is currently occupied by the former Biology Complex. NNSA invites the public to review and submit comments on the Draft EA. Copies of the document are available for public review on the NNSA NEPA web page (https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room) and/or the DOE NEPA web page (https://www.energy.gov/nepa/public-comment-opportunities). Public comments on the Draft EA should be submitted no later than January 22, 2021. Comments may be submitted via regular mail to NNSA NEPA Document Manager, Attn: LPF Draft EA, P.O. Box 2050, Oak Ridge, TN 37831; or by email: [email protected] Comments will not be accepted over the telephone.

Filed Under: Classifieds, National Nuclear Security Administration, Public Notices, Sponsored Posts, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: draft environmental assessment, lithium processing facility, Y-12 National Security Complex

Public Notice: Draft Environmental Assessment Available for Lithium Production Facility at Y-12

Posted at 12:05 pm December 3, 2020
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING FACILITY AT THE Y-12 NATIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX (DOE/EA-2145)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the availability of this Draft Environmental Assessment (EA), which analyzes the potential impacts of constructing and operating the Lithium Processing Facility (LPF) to process and supply the lithium material and components that are needed to support the National Security Enterprise. The LPF would be located at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) on a proposed site that is currently occupied by the former Biology Complex.

NNSA invites the public to review and submit comments on the Draft EA. Copies of the document are available for public review on the NNSA NEPA web page (https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room) and/or the DOE NEPA web page (https://www.energy.gov/nepa/public-comment-opportunities). Public comments on the Draft EA should be submitted no later than January 8, 2021. Comments may be submitted via regular mail to NNSA NEPA Document Manager, Attn: LPF Draft EA, P.O. Box 2050, Oak Ridge, TN 37831; or by email: [email protected] Comments will not be accepted over the telephone.

Filed Under: Classifieds, National Nuclear Security Administration, Public Notices, Sponsored Posts, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: environmental assessment, lithium production facility, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex

NNSA administrator resigns

Posted at 9:24 am November 11, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lisa Gordon-Hagerty

Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, the administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, resigned Friday.

The NNSA oversees the work at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and other nuclear weapons sites across the nation. The NNSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains nuclear warheads, produces fuel for the nuclear navy, and works on nuclear nonproliferation, among other activities.

Gordon-Hagerty, who was also under secretary of energy for nuclear security, became the first woman to lead the NNSA in February 2018.

It’s not clear why she resigned Friday or whether her resignation was voluntary.

Defense News reported that the resignation was driven by almost a year of clashes between Gordon-Hagerty’s office and Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, including over budgets.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, National Nuclear Security Administration, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Dan Brouillette, Jim Inhofe, Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, nuclear weapons, U.S. Department of Energy, William Bookless, Y-12 National Security Complex

Public notice: Final supplement analysis available for earthquake accident analysis at Y-12

Posted at 11:09 am July 24, 2020
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL SUPPLEMENT ANALYSIS FOR THE FINAL SITE-WIDE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE Y-12 NATIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX (Y-12 SWEIS), EARTHQUAKE ACCIDENT ANALYSIS (DOE/EIS-0387-SA-04)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the availability of this Final Supplement Analysis (SA), which presents an analysis of the potential impacts of earthquake accidents at the Y-12 site. Based on the SA, NNSA has determined that no further NEPA documentation is required. Copies of the document are available on the DOE NEPA web page at https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0387-y-12-national-security-complex-site-wide-environmental-impact-statement-oak-ridge.

Filed Under: Classifieds, National Nuclear Security Administration, Public Notices, Sponsored Posts, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: earthquake accident analysis, final supplement analysis, National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex

Y-12 employee dies of health issues related to COVID-19

Posted at 10:28 am July 21, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

William Mark Easterly

A project controls manager at the Y-12 National Security Complex has died of health issues related to COVID-19, the nuclear weapons production plant said Tuesday.

The Daily Times has identified the employee as Mark Easterly of Maryville. The newspaper said Easterly was employed by Bechtel for almost 30 years, and he began working at Y-12 as a project controls manager in March.

His death is the first death due to COVID-19 at a National Nuclear Security Administration site. Y-12 is an NNSA site. The NNSA is part of the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Daily Times reported that Easterly’s wife, Brandee, is principal of John Sevier Elementary School in Maryville.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: COVID-19, Front Page News, Health, National Nuclear Security Administration, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: COVID-19, Mark Easterly, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, The Daily Times, Y-12 National Security Complex

UCOR cleanup contract extended

Posted at 4:28 pm May 29, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The East Tennessee Technology Park (the former Oak Ridge K-25 Site), which is pictured above, is being cleaned up by UCOR for the U.S. Department of Energy. (Photo by UCOR)

The UCOR contract to clean up federal sites in Oak Ridge has been extended one year to July 31, 2021, and the consideration of a new cleanup contract won’t be considered until November 2020 at the earliest.

The UCOR contract could be extended one additional year, to July 31, 2022, using two six-month options, depending upon contractor performance and progress.

Before the extension, UCOR’s contract had been scheduled to expire July 31, 2020.

UCOR works on cleanup projects for the U.S. Department of Energy at the East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Y-12 National Security Complex. The work includes the demolition of old, contaminated buildings that are no longer used. The cleanup work is called environmental management, or EM.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: AECOM, cleanup contract, DOE, East Tennessee Technology Park, EM, environmental management, Jacobs Engineering Group, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Office of Science, ORNL, request for proposals, U.S. Department of Energy, UCOR, Y-12 National Security Complex

Y-12 transitioning back to normal operations with telework

Posted at 5:45 pm May 6, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above. (Photo courtesy CNS Y-12)

The Y-12 National Security Complex began a transition back to normal operations with as much telework as possible on Thursday, April 30.

It’s a staged transition. That means employees are being brought back incrementally, or in stages. That’s according to a response to questions provided by Kathryn King, spokesperson for Consolidated Nuclear Security, the plant’s managing and operating contractor.

A significant number of employees are teleworking, which means they are working remotely, King said.

Y-12 began limited operations on April 6 and transitioned to mission-critical operations on April 14 because of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“But the prevalence of the virus in the community has steadily decreased as has the number of employees under quarantine because of a potential exposure to COVID-19,” King said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: COVID-19, Health, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Consolidated Nuclear Security, COVID-19, Kathryn King, limited operations, normal operations, telework, transition, Y-12 National Security Complex

For members: CNS violated nuclear safety requirements at Y-12, NNSA says

Posted at 6:00 pm May 3, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Y-12 Building 9212

A low-level aerial shot of Building 9212 at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

 

A federal contractor violated nuclear safety requirements at the Y-12 National Security Complex, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The violations are associated with the accumulations of uranium-235 in a glovebox, furnace, and casting line in Building 9212 at Y-12. The equipment is used to recover and process uranium-235, a fissile material that can be used in nuclear weapons and reactors.

The buildup of enriched uranium, discovered after hydraulic lines leaked in a glovebox, exceeded limits established by a safety program meant to help prevent a nuclear chain reaction.

An investigation of the uranium accumulations found weaknesses in five areas, according to the NNSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy and overseas nuclear weapons work at sites like Y-12. Among the deficiencies were procedural compliances, evaluations of process changes, the analyses of causes, the establishment of roles and responsibilities, and the implementation of a program meant to prevent inadvertent accumulations.

“The National Nuclear Security Administration considers these deficiencies to be of high safety significance,” Administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty wrote in an April 6 letter. “Although there were no actual consequences to the public, workers, or the environment, these deficiencies eroded the barriers preventing a nuclear criticality and could, if left uncorrected, adversely impact nuclear and worker safety at the Y-12 National Security Complex.”

The letter was sent to Morgan Smith, president and chief executive officer of Consolidated Nuclear Security. CNS manages and operates Y-12, as well as the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, for the NNSA.

The rest of this story, which you will find only on Oak Ridge Today, is available if you are a member: an advertiser, sponsor, or subscriber to Oak Ridge Today.

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Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, National Nuclear Security Administration, Premium Content, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Amber McCarthy, Bruce Hamilton, Building 9212, casting line, casting operation, CNS, Consolidated Nuclear Security, criticality safety, criticality safety evaluation, Dave Kupferer, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, DNFSB, DOE, DOE Office of Enforcement, DOE Office of Enterprise Assessments, enriched uranium, fissile material, Holden Gas Furnace, inadvertent accumulation prevention program, Jerry Lichtenwalter, Kathryn King, knockout glovebox, Morgan Smith, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, NNSA Production Office, nuclear criticality, nuclear criticality safety, nuclear safety, preliminary notice of violation, reduction process, sand separator, Spencer Jordan, Steven Wyatt, Travis Wilson, U.S. Department of Energy, uranium accumulations, uranium buildup, uranium holdup, uranium oxide, uranium-235, Y-12 National Security Complex

Y-12 recycling sensitive documents, converting into reusable briquettes

Posted at 4:20 pm April 20, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The paper disintegrator system at the Y-12 National Security Complex produces paper briquettes to be used by off-site recycling vendors to make compressed paper products. The briquettes are currently reused by a commercial company to make a cellulose binder for construction products, such as asphalt sealants. (Photo courtesy CNS Y-12)

Note: This story was updated at 12:45 p.m. April 21.

The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge is recycling sensitive documents by disintegrating them and compressing them into paper briquettes, which are used to make a cellulose binder for construction products, such as asphalt sealants.

In Fiscal Year 2019, 270,000 pounds of paper briquettes were recycled, according to Consolidated Nuclear Security, which manages and operates Y-12 as well as the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

Sensitive documents generally contain content that is deemed sensitive for business or classification reasons. Y-12 said all of the documents generated at its site, a nuclear weapons production plant, are processed through its Destruction and Recycle, or DAR, facility.

The paper is processed through a disintegrator before it is put into a briquettor. The disintegrated paper meets security specifications for size reduction, CNS said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, National Nuclear Security Administration, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: briquettor, cellulose binder, CNS, Consolidated Nuclear Security, disintegrator, Jan Jackson, paper briquettes, recycling, Y-12 National Security Complex

CNS president returned to work last week after work-from-home precaution

Posted at 3:29 pm April 14, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Morgan Smith (Photo by CNS)

Morgan Smith, president and chief executive officer of Consolidated Nuclear Security, returned to work last week after temporarily working from home as a precaution. Smith worked from home after he was notified that someone that he had been in brief contact with had reported symptoms that could be related to COVID-19.

But a test of that person was negative for COVID-19, and Smith returned to work on Tuesday, April 7, CNS spokesperson Kathryn King said this week.

Smith had no symptoms, King said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: COVID-19, Health, National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: CNS, Consolidated Nuclear Security, COVID-19, Kathryn King, Morgan Smith, Pantex Plant, Y-12 National Security Complex

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Classifieds

Public Notice: Comment period extended for Draft EA for Lithium Processing Facility at Y-12

EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING … [Read More...]

Public Notice: Draft Environmental Assessment Available for Lithium Production Facility at Y-12

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING FACILITY AT THE Y-12 … [Read More...]

Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment for the Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC) (DOE/EA-2144), Finding of No Significant Impact, and Wetland Statement of Findings

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

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