NNSA Announces Special Tools & Processes for B53 Dismantlement
Prhttp://www.yourindustrynews.com/nnsa+announces+special+tools+%26+processes+for+b53+dismantlement+program_48047.htmlogram
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) today announced that its Pantex Plant has developed a new process and special tooling that will accelerate dismantlement of the B53weapons system.
NNSA’s SS-21 process fully integrates the weapon system with the facility, tooling, operating procedures and personnel involved in the dismantlement program to form a safe, efficient and effective operating environment.
D’Agostino said the B53 is very large and difficult to take apart. “You don’t attack these things with a screwdriver and a crescent wrench,” he said.
With the design and fabrication of tooling and procedures complete, the project team is expected to receive authorization to begin disassembling the B53 after NNSA completes an extensive safety review that includes approval of a Documented Safety Analysis and completion of a Nuclear Explosive Safety Study.
80+% of the 53 stockpile have already been dismantled & for these remaining few we’ve developed a whole new process & tooling to “accelerate dismantlement”. We’ve conducted numerous NES studies over the years & I can’t ever recall using a screwdriver & crescent wrench to disassemble a 53. Nor do I recall anyone at LANL/SNL/DOE/NNSA saying the existing process at the time was unsafe.
If the Seamless Safety for the 21st Century (SS-21) is so much better, why is it still necessary for NNSA to complete an extensive safety review that includes approval of a Documented Safety Analysis and completion of a Nuclear Explosive Safety Study?
If the Seamless SS-21 process is so wonderful why do PTs at PX refer to it as an endless, mind-numbing process of delays?
An insignificant workload that in the recent past took a few months to complete now requires several months to complete even with a so-called “accelerated dismantlement” process. A 10-fold increase in the cost to do the work is not mentioned anywhere.
Now, if we can just reduce the speed limit on our highways to 5mph we can be so much safer.
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Los Alamos (aka LANS) is the Design Agency for the B53 Weapon System. The last time I checked, Bret Knapp had one engineer assigned half-time to this weapon system at LANS. NNSA is defending LANS abysmal failure to provide leadership and basic engineering principles to dismantle the B53. It's a sham for the NNSA Administrator to indicate "it takes more that a screwdriver and crescent wrench to dismantle the B53". Is this the best excuse for being at least 10-years behind schedule on dismantlement of the B53? Both Knapp and D'Agostino should be fired for their lack of performance and incompetence on this program.
NNSA’s SS-21 process fully integrates the weapon system with the facility, tooling, operating procedures and personnel involved in the dismantlement program to form a safe, efficient and effective operating environment.
Yes. Well I'm glad they got around to finishing the tooling, procedures and safety analyses after 80% of the disassembly campaign was complete.
It's what I expect from a DOE/NNSA operation. The only thing missing is the hiring of the additional safety staff after 99% of the task is complete.
Oh well I suppose there is still time!
Bonus points for naming your "process" after a former Soviet missile system.
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Yet another NNSA press release loudly trumpeting their great success when anyone who works inside the weapon complex knows NNSA is an complete and utter failure.
Its really too bad that massive PR campaigns (paid for with taxpayers dollars!) actually seem to work in fooling the public.
Meanwhile, Bechtel and Company keep racking up the big money managing the NNSA labs whether they are making these institutions productive or not. And Tom D'Agostino?... he has no shame.
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