Wednesday, March 5, 2014
LANL Pu Facility funding cut:
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/new-budget-for-lanl-does-not-include-money-for-plutonium/article_3749ec30-ac2a-5b9c-a898-210861358d93.html
Almost no work has occurred at the facility for the last 9 months due to safety issues. Among the alternatives for getting Pu work done is a proposal to do it at Livermore's Pu facility, see:
http://www.abqjournal.com%2F362158%2Fblogs%2Fu-s-plutonium-options-the-congressional-research-service-report.html&ei=-y4XU7XANIOTyQHh44HACg&usg=AFQjCNET1Ez9VPd4UTEfJLq7OfCGMRySxw&bvm=bv.62286460,d.aWM
What will LLNL's response be?
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20 comments:
Even if the LANL Pu facility has been on a work pause for nine months, at least the new perimeter security system was completed on-time and under budget. Taxpayers should be feeling good about this situation.
The statement, "at least the new perimeter security system was completed on-time and under budget", is either fiction or sarcasm. The so called NMSSUP was over budget and late as noted elsewhere in this blog ( see: http://llnlthetruestory.blogspot.com/2012/11/charlie-on-plutonium-facility-security.html ).
That caused a 49% score on the facilities management section of lanl's eval.
That caused a 49% score on the facilities management section of lanl's eval.
March 7, 2014 at 10:43 AM
But it didn't matter because NNSA gave them a passing grade!
LANL's transplant from Livermore, Director Charlie McMillan, has done a fantastic job of crippling Pu work at Los Alamos so that it can be transferred over to Bret Knapp's lab, LLNL.
Heckavajob, Charlie.
What's next on your hidden agenda?
Director Charlie McMillan, has done a fantastic job of crippling Pu work at Los Alamos so that it can be transferred over to Bret Knapp's lab, LLNL.
March 7, 2014 at 7:27 PM
Uh, you do realize that LLNL has divested itself of any capability to do CAT I Pu work? No certified facility, no certified security force. Superblock was deinventoried permanently, and the security posture downgraded a few years ago. LANL Pu work may go to SRS, but not LLNL. Look for another conspiracy.
It will go to LLNL.
It will go to LLNL.
March 7, 2014 at 10:02 PM
Evidence? Aside from your conspiracy theory involving McMillan? Where will the work be done at LLNL? Where will LLNL get the workers with appropriate knowledge and training? Why do you think the local environmental and political pressures that forced closing of Superblock will be less? Why do you think DOE/NNSA will not take advantage of the existing facilities and expertise at SRS?
LLNL or SRS, either one will do the job. LANL has been down for almost a year, and some indication is that it may stay that way for another year or longer.
Although the McMillan conspiracy theory sounds titillating, the source of dissonance is Don Cook who has advised his lab leaders to find viable Pu alternatives, including the AWE from whence he came. So the notion of a return to prominence for LLNL is no pipe dream… where there is a will there is a way. The bigger question is, does LLNL have the desire?
The bigger question is, does LLNL have the desire?
March 10, 2014 at 7:50 PM
Even if they had the desire, they don't have the money to reestablish Superblock and recreate the CAT I security and guard force. They also don't have the political clout in the Bay Area to start talking about Pu work again.
Yes, the sad truth is that the plutonium facility has been down for 9 months. What is really sad is that when it resumes operations, about $90M dollars will have been wasted on what should be considered minor improvements on safety of workers at the facility. Those of us who worked there these past several decades believed that we were working safely. The fact that this situation exists calls into question the credibility of people who say that we are not safe, or is it the credibility of those who said we were working safe? After all, the DNFSB needs a reason to exist...As for the Feds at DOE, either come do the work yourselves or accept some risk in what you have others do. After all, we know the hazards and the risks and accept that as part of the work that we enjoy to do in service other nation.
part of the work that we enjoy to do in service other nation.
March 12, 2014 at 6:44 PM
What other nation??
March 12, 2014 at 6:44 PM
Cowboy
I have seen probably hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on safety issues that were blown way out of proportion. Remember in 2005-2006 LLNL's Pu facility was down for about 18 months due to a problem in configuration management.
The problem with DNFSB is the law that created that agency. Read it and see the few options available to the DOE Secretary in response to a DNFSB issue.
The DNFSB is the problem. The solution is to get rid of the DNFSB.
The solution is to get rid of the DNFSB.
March 15, 2014 at 2:51 PM
Oh!! Good Idea!! Let's get right on that! I'm sure all it will take is a phone call to the President! Do that tomorrow, will you? Great! What a relief, I thought that was going to be a hard problem!!
You don't do the work, you don't get the money.
The reason for stopping the work doesn't matter. The LANL Pu capabilities have been dormant now for over 9 months and this situation doesn't look like it will change anytime soon.
More work shipped out of LANL. Heckavajob! Bonuses for all the top level managers as the safety and security metrics that LANS executives continual worship will now look better than ever!
Bonuses for all the top level managers as the safety and security metrics that LANS executives continual worship will now look better than ever!
March 16, 2014 at 10:46 PM
There are other metrics just as highly rated, like stockpile stewardship.
Stockpile stewardship isn't even mentioned in the contract.
Stockpile stewardship isn't even mentioned in the contract.
March 24, 2014 at 6:01 PM
Read contract "Performance Objective 1 – Nuclear Weapons Mission." It's all about stockpile stewardship, specifically called out. Try doing some homework before you post.
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